At Corona del Mar High School, the Battle of the Bay dance, also known as homecoming, is the first dance of the school year. The dance, on  October 4th, 2025, at the R1 venue, is right around the corner, so let’s take a deep dive into how CdM students prepare for the highly anticipated BOTB dance. 

The dance is the start of the Battle of the Bay festivities, which includes the BOTB rally and the BOTB Football game. This year’s theme is Back to the Future, which encapsulates the idea that the football team needs to go back in time, beat the sailors, and steal back the bell. Preparation for the dance can include dress and suit shopping, as well as full nail, hair, and makeup glam. Kaitlyn Shumlas, a junior at CdM, explained, “I love to get my nails done, take an everything shower, and I like to go to my friend Becca Tomac’s house to do my makeup and hair and get dressed, and we listen to music, which always makes it fun to get ready together.” Getting ready with a group of friends is a great way to bond, share memories, and start the evening off in a fun manner. Izzy Saber, another junior at CdM, shared her fun tradition on the day of dances, “In the morning, my friends and I have breakfast together and make flower bouquets, which I love to do.” The BOTB dance usually has the highest attendance because students are the most excited and motivated to jump back into school activities at the start of the year. 

No matter what students do to prepare for the dance, the one thing that remains constant is that students look forward to the CdM dances because they get to spend time with friends, engage in fun singing and dancing, and lastly show their school spirit.