On April 25, Branson upperclassmen, along with their dates and chaperones, attended the annual prom, hosted at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Belvedere this year.
First, students attended separate grade-designated pre-prom parties and then gathered together for the dance.
“I thought the venue was really awesome and helped to create a more fun and tight-knit environment,” Maddie Schneider ’26 said.
Others also highlighted the location.
“The venue was perfect for the size of the class. I thought it was decorated beautifully. I was really overjoyed by seeing so many people — so many kids — having fun, dancing, especially,” said Alex Escalante, a dance teacher at Branson and a chaperone of this year’s prom.
Elizabeth Miller ’26 noted the upbeat energy of the event.
“I think that the seniors brought amazing energy that everyone was feeding off of on the dance floor and just generally at the prom. And I think that the venue also really supported that. It was a great space filled with great people, and everyone just had a really good time,” Miller said.
Branson hired a DJ for the event, and his music was a big hit.
“I really enjoyed the music. The DJ was super interactive. He took song requests and everything which was nice. He was just playing really lively, bubbly music. It was a really good time,” said Kaden Fortune ’28, a sophomore who attended as a date.
Overall, prom was a massive success, but not everything about the night was perfect.
“The weather wasn’t ideal. It was just cold, especially during the pre-prom, and I think all the girls — especially in their dresses — were very chilly. I think if we just had nicer weather in the evening, it would have really just elevated it,” Diya Patel ’26 said.
While the fun of prom seemed effortless, months of planning went into its execution. This year and in the past, prom has been planned by the junior class representatives and their class dean, among others.
“I would say the planning definitely took a lot of time. We’ve been planning it almost since JTS in September. But I wouldn’t say it was particularly hard,” said Hailey Sellers ’27, one of the representatives.
The class representatives and their dean, Gisella Petrone, worked together to put on the dance, each contributing to different parts.
“There were a couple of hiccups in the road, but we got through them, and I’d say the venue was so amazing, so shoutout to Gisella for finding the venue. I think we also did a really good job decorating. London [Mullarkey ’27] has a very good eye for that kind of stuff,” Sellers said.
Next year, the planning process will look different, as Jenya Jawad, Branson’s special events coordinator, will, for the most part, take over the planning. The logistics of the event are vast and require time to accomplish.
“We actually headed into it the year before. The first step is finding a venue; you’ll choose a couple of options, you’ll ask them what their availability is, and students will go and visit it to see if they actually like it. Once we’ve decided to move forward, there’s a contract that has to be signed by our admin team, and that outlines all the rules and procedures and the price point,” Jawad said.
There was a strong sense among students that this year’s prom exceeded expectations.
“I thought it was a lot better than last year. The energy people were bringing was awesome; it was just vibrant, like there was a hacky sack circle in the middle of the dance floor. It was wonderful,” Miller said.
The energy and joy of the students stood out to Escalante, making the event especially special.
“The joy in all the students’ faces is what, for me as a chaperone, is really what brings love and joy to my heart, just seeing them having so much fun,” Escalante said.
