Ah, the nostalgia! For those of us who navigated the treacherous social waters of junior high in the 1980s, the memory of school dances is forever etched in our minds. Remember that pre-dance frenzied mall trip? We’d scour Benetton and The Limited for the perfect acid-wash jeans—ideally pegged to perfection—and shop for those shoulder-padded blazers and vibrant ruffled skirts. The night of the dance, we’d whip out our Caboodle makeup kits and transform our hair into a masterpiece of teasing and crimping, liberally applying Aqua Net before heading out.
Our parents begrudgingly shuttled us in their family sedans, while we either tuned them out completely or desperately urged them to switch the radio to a Poison track or any band they deemed “uncool.” We even pleaded to be dropped off a block away, avoiding the humiliation of being seen by our peers as we arrived in the “parent-mobile.”
Once inside the gym—transformed from its usual scent of sweaty gym socks to a dazzling mix of colored lights and streamers—we’d find makeshift dance floors laid out, with a DJ booth cobbled together from a couple of folding tables. The chaperones, an odd mix of parents and teachers, lingered in the background, attempting to escape the pulsating music while looking busy.
Let’s break down the dance night into its iconic segments:
The First Dance
This opening number was often fraught with tension. No one wanted to be the first brave soul to take to the floor. We’d stand there, stiff and awkward, waiting for those cooler kids to make the first move. As a result, many of us missed the first song entirely, but it didn’t matter—there were plenty more to come. And honestly, the first track was rarely a chart-topper anyway.
The First Slow Dance
This moment was even more cringeworthy than the first song, with everyone frozen in anticipation of being asked to dance. That boy we had a crush on—who wore his dad’s cologne and whose initials we obsessively wrote in our notebooks—was often the object of our nervousness. Would he ask us to dance? The pressure of figuring out where to place our hands (shoulders or waist?) made it hard to enjoy the moment.
The Dance Off
A highlight for the confident crowd, this was a showdown where two kids showcased their best moves, each taking turns to impress the audience and maybe even catch someone’s eye. The outcome, determined by crowd reaction, led to lively debates in the lunchroom the next week about who really won.
The Choreographed Dance
Reserved for the elite, this dance saw a couple of kids performing a routine they’d practiced for weeks. Clad in matching outfits, they wowed us while we cheered and later attempted to replicate their moves in our bedrooms, mirrors reflecting our best efforts as our boom boxes played.
The Crying in the Bathroom Song
Every dance had that one heart-wrenching song that sent us running to the bathroom, thinking of the boy who chose to dance with someone else. In the sanctuary of stalls, we’d lean on our friends for support, using crumpled toilet paper to dab our tears and Bonne Bell Lip Smackers to touch up, determined to return and reclaim our night.
The ‘We Can’t Admit We Like This Song, So We Can’t Dance To It’ Dance
Peer pressure was omnipresent in junior high. Some songs were simply too “uncool” for us to admit liking. But occasionally, we’d find a small circle of friends who shared our secret affection for a forbidden track, and together we’d dance defiantly, united in our rebellion against societal norms.
The Final Song, aka The Makeout Song
Just when we began to feel comfortable, the DJ would announce the last track of the evening. We’d scramble to find a partner or perhaps just sway awkwardly in a circle with friends, trying to appear nonchalant. Those who were lucky enough to steal a kiss often found themselves wishing the song would last forever.
As we left, whether in pairs or solo, we stumbled out to the waiting cars, feeling as though we’d just come from a real-life dance club. Parents were lined up in their indistinguishable vehicles, ready to take us home. Once back, we’d replay the night’s events over and over in our minds, blissfully unaware of how cherished those awkward moments would become.
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In summary, the dances of the 1980s were a rite of passage, filled with unforgettable moments of awkwardness, excitement, and the bittersweet pangs of young love. They served as the backdrop for some of our most cherished memories, shaping our social lives and friendships in ways we didn’t fully appreciate until much later.
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