Grand Junction High school started the school year out with a bang with the popular color dance on Aug. 19, 2023.

The color dance is the first dance of the year and is a non-formal dance. This is the only dance ALT will host this year. This dance welcomes all high school students from GJHS and other high schools with completed forms.

The color dance was located outside the gym commons from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Students paid $10 to enter and showed up in an assortment of white clothes, ready to be covered in colorful powder.

“[Setting up for the dance] helps us get to know other ALT members because you get to spend time with each other and it’s really fun,” said GJHS senior Emma Jensen. She is one of the ALT leaders.

Russel Gregory is a math teacher at GJHS who also coordinates ALT. He has put on four color dances. Last year, there were more than 500 students at the dance and this year around 700 students attended.

ALT leaders filled 2,000 bags of color and setting up took more than two hours.

Students also participated in a spirit week before the color dance. Monday was beach day, Tuesday was toes out, Wednesday Barbie and Ken, Thursday was jersey day, and  Friday being color war days.