School dances at Orono High School have evolved over time, now including a homecoming dance, a winter formal, and a spring formal, more commonly known as Prom. At OHS specifically, a great extent of planning goes into the dances, with many people on Senate helping to put together an enjoyable event for all attendees.

“Choosing a date, finding chaperones, cleaning setup, advertising, putting tickets on MyPaymentsPlus, figuring out parent volunteers, and finding DJ’s, all goes into the coordination or planning process,” OHS teacher and Senate advisor Grace Nohner said.

This past year, OHS postponed the winter formal until April. This was mainly due to ongoing COVID cases in the area. Although the school continued on with a dress-up week during Sadies’ original date, many were upset with the move of the dance to April.

“I think it would have been better if the dance had been back in February,” senior Patrick McCabe said.

Many schools have found different ways to plan their school dances. According to the article, “Prom Planning Made Easy,” ‘My School Dance’ is an app that allows students to access all Prom-planning needs such as ticket sales, and permission and guest forms. This platform allows quicker access for all things Prom-related, and has slowly been implemented in schools throughout the U.S.

“This is my second year going [to Sadies] and I went with a date instead of just a group. I think it’s a fun experience and shows Orono’s spirit,” senior Kailey Niccum said.

Helping to coordinate Sadies for 15 years now, Nohner mentioned that purchasing speakers for the dance happened towards the beginning when Sadies first came about at Orono. In the past, the school has hired a professional DJ, but after hearing feedback from students, Nohner said the preferred preference was having student DJs.

“Since Sadies and Prom are now closer together, girls have to buy two different dresses now. So it’s sort of like too much money, too little time,” McCabe said.

It can be hard to budget for many school-run dances, such as Sadies. According to an article from the New York Times entitled, “High school dances shine just a little less brightly,” financing for school dances can be generated multiple ways through fundraising, budget allocations, and even the revenue from schools’ vending machines. With all the planning that needs to go into place, not just for Sadies, but for all school dances, comes a price; literally.

“Paying for a dress for every school dance can be a hassle sometimes,” senior Morgan McPherson said.

According to the same article, students spend somewhere between $50 and $300 on their Prom tickets and dresses. Much of the expenses, in turn, go into paying for things such as a venue, food, chaperones, and a DJ. At OHS, many students have found the school dances to be a fun experience and should continue as a tradition at the school for years to come.

“I went with the Unified Club back in 2020 before COVID hit, and that was a lot of fun. I think this dance is a great tradition to carry on at Orono for years to come,” McPherson said.

Many school dances stray from the modern dances performed years ago. According to an article about “Dance” from Encyclopedia Britannica, two main dances have evolved as cultures have developed over time: social dances and religious dances. Differing from country to country, the origins of dances such as the waltz, folk dancing, and ballet, have evolved into what we know today as modern dancing.

“I like having student DJs and the mosh pits can be chaotic, but it’s still a fun time,” senior Sydney Govrik said.