I've noticed that even though wearing trousers and shorts is widely accepted and practiced by modern girls in most areas of life, school dance balls still seem to insist on hyper-femininity such as satin or silk dresses and overtly feminine jewelry and shoes. Sure most schools and communities will say girls "can" wear a female-tailored tuxedo but in reality there is still immense social pressure - and the threat of negative social consequences - to wear a dress and looking like you've just stepped out of 1940s Hollywood.

I see nothing wrong with that.

Heck the kids nowadays make their prom formal wear out of Duck Tape, so not all is as it used to be.  ;D

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Duck+Tape+prom&qpvt=Duck+Tape+prom&FORM=IGRE

I suppose it is nice to dress up for a night, although, I think nowadays it is highly overrated, and totally overpriced! I didn't go to the prom, didn't want to spend all of that money.

I've noticed that even though wearing trousers and shorts is widely accepted and practiced by modern girls in most areas of life, school dance balls still seem to insist on hyper-femininity such as satin or silk dresses and overtly feminine jewelry and shoes. Sure most schools and communities will say girls "can" wear a female-tailored tuxedo but in reality there is still immense social pressure - and the threat of negative social consequences - to wear a dress and looking like you've just stepped out of 1940s Hollywood.


And then you think you've gotten out of that for a few years of college, and then you go to the office Christmas party (the one night a year when everybody's supposed to dress up), and you realize nothing's changed since High School. 

(It's equal-opportunity traditionalism: namely it's also the only day of the year on which most of us guys can be caught wearing a suit and tie.)

I didn't go to either one of my proms-only because I didn't have a date and didn't want to go stag.  :\'( :\'( :\'( :\'( 

But, I must admit that I LOVE to get dressed up to the nines. We used to go to the college Christmas party that allowed me to dress up once a year-which I loved. But, they stopped the party-don't know why.  :\'( :\'( :\'( :\'(

I wish that I had more places to go where I can dress to the nines. I absolutely LOVE it.


Cat

I think there are some schools today that don't allow girls to wear anything but dresses to the prom. Remember the Constance McMillen case back in 2010? It wasn't just the fact that she was a lesbian and wished to attend with another girl as her date that was controversial (although it was a major part of it), it was also the fact that she wished to wear a tux to prom. The principal told her that letting girls wear tuxes to the prom would lead the way to letting boys wear dresses to the prom.  ::)

I didn't go to my prom, or any other school dance for that matter. I never liked school dances because they were murder on my senses. Plus, I sure as hell was not going to spend that much money on a night that I probably wouldn't enjoy all that much to begin with.

I know every generation says it, but the way kids are dancing nowadays goes too far!
8)

I know every generation says it, but the way kids are dancing nowadays goes too far!
8)


It all started with the charleston!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE

It all started with the charleston!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE


How on earth did people do that when they were drinking? I'd totally fall on my face if I tried something like that.  ;D

It all started with the charleston!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE



My grandmother taught me how to do the Charleston. She would know since she was a flapper.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r92/aandcsattic/family/gma3.jpg

Yes, that IS my grandmother. I'm sure many will think it is me.


Cat

It all started with the charleston!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE


must've been a silly dance at the time.

My grandmother taught me how to do the Charleston. She would know since she was a flapper.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r92/aandcsattic/family/gma3.jpg

Yes, that IS my grandmother. I'm sure many will think it is me.


Cat


She's very pretty.  :)

It all started with the charleston!


Charleston, Charleston,
Made in Carolina,
Some dance, some prance,
I’ll say there’s nothing finer than the
Charleston, Charleston,
Lord, how you can shuffle!
Every step ya do,
Leads to something new,
Man I’m telling you,
It’s a lapazoo,
Buck dance, sweet dance,
Will be back-b-ababu-duh-doo-daah..duh..dah-...eduh-bdoo-.dood..d..a...

NZzN9D95MYI

  - Sylvester, Chester, and Spike in Tree for Two (Warner Bros cartoon ca. 1952)

If my parents ever bothered to ask their parents what that joke was about, they forgot to tell me!  I am apparently 60 years late to the punchline (a record, even by our standards!), and I'm not even 60 yet!  Karma for waking up whatever besotted memory cells that knew exactly what cartoon to look for, and now I have something to talk about with my last living relative who'd get the joke the next time I see her.

The Charleston was a little risque, sure, but nowadays, heaven knows, anything goes!

The Watusi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wBxNIqALE4

The Twist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9XuJJXylw

8)

numberninenumberninenumberninenumberninenumbernine

She's very pretty.  :)



Thank you, Howard.


Cat

The Charleston was a little risque, sure, but nowadays, heaven knows, anything goes!

The Watusi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wBxNIqALE4

The Twist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9XuJJXylw

8)

numberninenumberninenumberninenumberninenumbernine


Now those were dance moves.

I went to homecoming and candlelight, but never went to prom!  8)  :\'( :\'(

I never went to any prom I couldn't find a girl to go with.

I've never seen the newer version of Hairspray with John Travolta, but the original 1989 version has this neat sequence where a bunch of high-school kids are doing a line dance called the Madison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVaDyzv2ig4




I've always thought this was a really cool song, but I've never known what the shingaling, the skate, the boogaloo, or the philly were.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEMfxFEaXw

But what's great about this song is the way the singer makes those dances sound cool. It makes me want to get up and boogaloo!  8)

I've never seen the newer version of Hairspray with John Travolta, but the original 1989 version has this neat sequence where a bunch of high-school kids are doing a line dance called the Madison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVaDyzv2ig4




I've always thought this was a really cool song, but I've never known what the shingaling, the skate, the boogaloo, or the philly were.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEMfxFEaXw

But what's great about this song is the way the singer makes those dances sound cool. It makes me want to get up and boogaloo!  8)



The Madison was a popular dance in the '50s-'60s. Hairspray just brought it back.

Other popular dances '50s/'60s:

The Stroll
The Monkey
The Pony
The Twist
The Bunny Hop
The Alley Cat
The Funky Chicken
The Mash Potato
The Swim
The Jerk

'70s:

The Hustle
The Bus Stop
The Bump


Cat

I've never seen the newer version of Hairspray with John Travolta, but the original 1989 version has this neat sequence where a bunch of high-school kids are doing a line dance called the Madison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVaDyzv2ig4




I've always thought this was a really cool song, but I've never known what the shingaling, the skate, the boogaloo, or the philly were.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEMfxFEaXw

But what's great about this song is the way the singer makes those dances sound cool. It makes me want to get up and boogaloo!  8)


that was a cool dance.

The Madison was a popular dance in the '50s-'60s. Hairspray just brought it back.

Other popular dances '50s/'60s:

The Stroll
The Monkey
The Pony
The Twist
The Bunny Hop
The Alley Cat
The Funky Chicken
The Mash Potato
The Swim
The Jerk

'70s:

The Hustle
The Bus Stop
The Bump


Cat


What about the 1980's? ???

Let's Dance!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlQt9fHWQ8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXUR5SPU_aY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N13I2JzlcQM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhbYxXg7p-A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcpo1Rtaflo Encino Man - Brendan Frazier/Pauly Shore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx07uWsdpnQ Blast from the past - Brendan Frazier

I home schooled except for a year and high school and middle school each. I got to experience a few school dances, and I remember they were so fun. I remember when I was 17, my crush asked me to dance with her. I think the songs were "The Promise" and "Forever Young". I haven't really heard from her since. :( She looked so pretty in the dress she wore.