With more than 75 years of UCLA history, Spring Sing 2025 was back in full bloom.

After the annual student talent showcase and competition was canceled last year, the event returned to the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Friday night. With 12 competing acts ranging from dance groups and student musicians to student bands and an a cappella group – all interspersed with skits from comedy troupe Company – the event offered a smorgasbord of Bruin talent. Fourth-year dance student and Student Alumni Association member Maile Hanoian, one of the co-executive directors that put on the event, said the performances provided a platform for student voices.

“Spring Sing is a celebration of artistic expression where imagination runs free and creativity knows no bounds,” Hanoian said. “Tonight’s show is more than a tradition. It’s a living legacy and a reflection of the heart that defines our Bruin community.”

The judging panel for Friday’s talent showcase included “Jessie” actor Kevin Chamberlin, “Modern Family” actor Nolan Gould and “She’s All That” actress Rachael Leigh Cook. The panel also included several musicians, with singer-songwriter Devon Gabriella, singer-songwriter and alumnus Mad Tsai, Pentatonix member Matt Sallee, former Maroon 5 drummer and alumnus Ryan Dusick and pop duo The Army, The Navy appearing as judges for Friday’s acts. “Dancing with the Stars” professional Sasha Farber and “Dance Moms” reality television star and choreographer Abby Lee Miller rounded out the panel. 

A variety of prerecorded and live comedy sketches were interspersed between the night’s performances from the 10-member group Company. Filmed sequences featured the group delivering jokes about hungry squirrels stealing students’ food on campus and the horror “alt baristas” feel when preparing a beverage with real milk. Skits acted out in person included a dorm floor meeting gone wrong with a resident assistant fixated on her boyfriend’s infidelity and an encounter between two campus tour guides that culminated in a tango routine.

After the introduction from Company, Ryann Barnes and her bandmates took the stage at about 8 p.m. The second-year music industry student played her original song “American Daze” and sang with a hushed lower register, dancing and twirling around the stage barefoot while delivering the refrain, “It must’ve happened in a dream.” Open-style dance group ACA All Day followed as the stage became drenched in red and blue lights, and dozens of dancers in matching orange-and-black outfits moved in a triangular formation. With a variety of transitions throughout the piece, the group spun and swerved through songs such as “Alter Ego” by Doechii and JT and “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions.

Student singer-songwriter Ava Ulloa came next with a rendition of her song “American Slacker,” which she sang while playing an electric keyboard under a single spotlight. The third-year global jazz studies student’s lilting ballad featured lyrics such as “I’m an American slacker, don’t have the answers.” Punk band Lady Vengeance then entered for its bass-driven song “Clone Wars” as the lead singer approached the microphone stand in a white wedding dress with a bouquet of red roses.

Awaken A Cappella’s take on Olivia Rodrigo’s “the grudge” came next. A spotlight was given to the piece’s main singer, standing in the middle of the group. The lead singer was lifted at one point during the performance as the group moved through a variety of formations during the melancholy number about forgiveness. Student band The 529s closed out the first half of the show with its track “Get Me On The Way,” which showcased a strong influence of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” as the lead singer repeated the track’s titular refrain and encouraged the audience to clap along.

Following this, the 2025 UCLA Spring Sing George and Ira Gershwin Award was presented by assistant director Anna Neiger, a fourth-year environmental science student, with the recognition honoring lifetime musical achievements. This year’s awardee was The Temptations, who were recognized for its impact on multiple genres across several decades. Otis Williams, the sole living member of the original five-person lineup, received the award alongside Ron Tyson on behalf of the group.

“They did not just help create the Motown sound that went on to influence mainstream artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones,” Neiger said. “The Temptations helped define the Motown era itself … giving an empowering voice to generations in shaping a musical civil rights and American legacy that is undeniable to this day.”

Following a 15-minute intermission, Matty Gottesman and his backing band charged through the rock-leaning number “Voice of Reason” as the third-year communication student transitioned from the standalone microphone to the electric keyboard to dancing. Performing for the first time at Spring Sing, Synthesis Dance’s choreography was next delivered to the tune of Adele’s “Rumour Has It,” with the synchronized moves featuring spins and twirls as the dancers wore matching red-and-black costumes.

Ella Gibson took the stage for her song “Patch,” standing alone while strumming her guitar under green and purple lights. Members of the audience turned on the flashlights on their phones, swaying back and forth as the second-year music industry student transitioned to the bridge of her mid-tempo original track. Then, Viva and her backing band brought to life the original track “Eat Your Words,” which the second-year theater student said she wrote at age 16. The mononymous artist’s guitar-playing was paired with violin, bass and drums while the stage became ensconced in yellow lights.

Under pink lights, Icarus Contemporary danced through five songs while donning pink basketball shorts and black vests. The choreography ended with about half of the troupe running off the main stage and into the aisles to continue the group’s movements. The final act of the night was The Band Called Sex, which took the stage with its song “Mirage Melting.” Trumpets, trombones and tambourines filled out the mix alongside bass, guitar and drums, with several of the members clad in ensembles evocative of medieval garb. An extended instrumental section was punctuated by a blitz of red and yellow beams of light.

Around 10 p.m., Company gave its last skit as the members sang a parody of ABBA’s “Thank You For The Music” under the refrain “Thank God I’m a Bruin.” This was closely followed by the night’s awards, which were presented by members of the SAA alongside Dusick, Farber and Cook. The ceremony spotlighted Company’s tango skit for Best Company Sketch, ACA All Day for the audience-voted Bruin Choice Award and Gibson for the judge-decided Best Overall Act. Co-executive director Jaden Oquendo thanked everyone involved in the making of the event and Hanoian added Spring Sing is important for student expression.

“Spring Sing is more than just a show,” Hanoian said. “It’s a testament to what happens when you give students the opportunity to lead, create and truly be seen.”