When the new school year begins, the homecoming dance is the hottest topic of conversation as students debate dress and tie colors, dinner spots and transportation. It is the first big social event when students return from summer break, and excitement buzzes through the school as plans are made.
As fall comes to a close, the excitement of homecoming dies down, and students are forced to get through a six-month long stretch without any major events to look forward to. This gap provides the perfect time to add a new dance.
High school dances are a great way to meet people and form friendships. As more people are included in plans, opportunities open up for students to bond with each other.
McLean’s school pride is highest during the week leading up to dances, with spirit days, a pep rally and the homecoming football game all occurring within the same week.
A dance during the winter season would give everyone that same opportunity to celebrate. As sophomores and freshmen are excluded from prom, this dance would be another way to bring all four grades together.
Students in McLean’s leadership class manage events like homecoming and prom to help build a strong school community. The class comes up with a theme and sets up decorations that transform the school entrance and gym into the perfect venue for a dance.
The experience McLeadership would gain from planning a winter formal would help prepare them for the big event: prom.
While buying decor and hiring a DJ may be expensive, McLean could make money in ticket sales. If the school is able to set aside a budget for a dance in the winter, it might even make a profit during the months in which they typically have no events.
The biggest risk is that the dance could have a low turnout, causing the school to lose money. McLean attempted to hold a winter dance in 2023, but it was canceled because they sold fewer than 200 tickets. In comparison, the school sold 1,200 tickets for homecoming this year.
“We attempted to have a winter dance before the pandemic, but it wasn’t very popular,” leadership teacher Karen McGraham said. “It would have to be clear that students are interested and really want [this dance] to happen.” It would be a waste of planning and money to host a dance only a few people attend, but on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, posts about school dances have become the latest trend. Accounts share dress and picture ideas, persuading teens to join in.
McLean has improved its social media presence since the last attempt at a winter dance, posting weekly on multiple different accounts, all with a high follower count. The McLeadership Instagram account has over 1,550 followers. They could post about a potential winter dance on the same platforms that dances are trending on to help spread the word and increase ticket sales.
Advertising through school social media accounts, posters throughout the school and schoolwide events like pep rallies and spirit days are all techniques that will catch students’ attention.
If excitement wasn’t reason enough, another benefit of having a school dance during the winter is that it would preserve students’ joy after the holidays end, when the weather gets dull and gloomy. During these late winter months, students tend to lack motivation and fall into a slump. A dance during the winter could reignite the spark students feel before homecoming and prom and improve overall performance in school.
In addition to being bleak and cheerless, winter is overflowing with assessments, projects and piles of homework. The weeks feel endless and exhausting to both students and faculty. A special weekend focused on a dance would provide students with a much-needed break and alleviate stress.
School is not just a place for academics, but also for making lifelong memories. A winter dance would strengthen community and pride for the school. Both McLean leadership and the administration should work to bring this idea to life, allowing them to spread warmth across the school during the cold months.
