One student’s leap from the wings has landed him and the Variety Show into controversy.

On Tuesday, May 17, the Student Assembly held the annual Variety Show, and Nick Daley ’12, a returning performer in the Variety Show, was prohibited from dancing in the second showing.

Daley was banned because of a medical excuse from P.E. due to a hip injury. Daley said the doctor had his “dancing interests in mind” when he excused Daley from gym.

Daley said the nurse had strongly advised him to not participate in the Variety Show at the beginning of the year, due to the section in the student handbook prohibiting student athletes from participating in games if they are excused from P.E.

However, this didn’t stop Variety Show performers and members of the band Cheerleader, Ellen Kempner ’12 and Max Kupperberg ’14, from giving Daley a chance to show his rebellion. During the second performance the two musicians called Daley back to the stage while they performed a second song they were allotted due to the absence of Daley’s dance routine.

As Daley danced his way onto the stage with Jake Shore ’13, who had been cut from the show during auditions, and last but not least Jamie Morgan ’11, a “surprise guest” according to Kempner and Kupperberg, the group took a stand. “The people who should’ve had that space we felt deserved to be there,” said Kupperberg.

The trouble began for Daley when David Gusitsch, Daley’s P.E. teacher, saw him performing in the first showing of the Variety Show. Daley was approached by Assistant Principal Karyn Morgan, the nurse, and Gusitsch to inform him he was not allowed to go on stage for the second show because if he was to get injured “[his] parents would be allowed to sue,” said Daley.

Gusitsch has declined to comment on the issue.

According to Principal John Dodig, Daley was also absent from class hours prior to the Variety Show, and in order to in order to participate in extra-curricular, non-academic activities, a students must be in school for at least four hours.

Dodig explained that Daley’s situation was no different from a student playing lacrosse or baseball, and that all extra curricular participants are treated equally.

However Dodig said that while Daley’s extended absence in gym should have prohibited his participation, watching Daley dance in the first act, and then seeing the student body’s support brought tears to his eyes.

“There can’t be many high schools in America where a boy can go onstage by him and dance and have 900 people applaud,” he said.

Regardless of his talent, administrators informed Daley he couldn’t perform in the second showing, and Jordan Rubin ’13 was told not to announce Daley’s presentation.

“I thought this was a ridiculous rule by the administration because even if a student cannot participate in gym they should still be able to do what they love and display that for the school,” said Rubin.

JJ Mathewson ’12, 2011-2012 president of Student Assembly, saw the decision to pull Daley from the second show as an act of duty. “The administration did what the administration had to do,” said Mathewson.

Mathewson explained that while he could see why Daley was upset. “He was performing something that was clearly extremely close to his heart,” Mattewson said.

However, Mathewson himself said if he were in the same situation he would not have taken it as far as to dance against administrative policy.

Kempner and Kupperberg, did not seem affected by the administrative policy. “We didn’t think it was right [Daley] was pulled from the second show, not just because he’s our friend but also because he’s an extremely talented individual,” said Kempner.

Because Kempner and Kupperberg were given their second song due to Daley being pulled from the show, “we thought it was still his spot so we wanted to share it with him,” said Kupperberg.