In previous years, school rules stated sexually suggestive dancing was not tolerated, but it wasn’t defined in the handbook.
This year, the school has defined sexually suggestive dancing to include:
• No front-to-back dancing/grinding.
• No straddling legs or bending over.
• No touching in areas other than the waist or shoulders.
“Everything the school does has to be about education,” said Northeastern High School assistant principal Brian Masser. “We kept looking at things like the dances and realized we weren’t educating students on proper etiquette in situations like dancing.
“It was a natural progression of what we were trying to do as a school.”
Masser said the new policy wasn’t a reaction to excessive displays of inappropriate dancing, but felt students have been socialized to dance this way.
“It’s been habit for them for a long time,” Masser said. “I trust in our kids. I think they’re respectful and mature enough that they’ll follow the guidelines out there.
“We’ll work with the kids and coach them through the dance. I think before long, it’ll become old hat here.”
Several other schools in the area have restrictions about dirty dancing in their students handbooks, including Springfield. Others, like Northwestern and Southeastern, meet with students before prom to discuss appropriate dancing. And some schools, like Kenton Ridge, require a Breathalyzer test before they allow students into the prom.
Masser said chaperones will warn students if dancing becomes inappropriate before they are asked to leave. He also said they have a policy and plan to follow it. They do expect some “growing pains.”
“It’s going to be a gradual process,” Masser said. “This is the first time through with the new policies.”
Dancing classes
The student body was split on the new rules. Some were happy about them, while others were wondering if they’d just be standing at the dance.
That’s when four students — juniors Ashley Hamm, Halle Raines, Sierrah Lucas and Megan Simpson — came to Masser with an idea. They wanted to offer dancing classes to students to help them learn the proper way of dancing.
“I think it’s better because it’s teaching kids a respectful way to do things,” Raines said. “I don’t think that’s taught enough. I think it was a good thing to start somewhere, make it the norm.”
When Springfield changed its policy in 2010, it offered ballroom dancing classes to students. Masser said they took that idea and ran with it, offering modern dancing classes through Scot Davidge, the director of the Ohio Performing Arts Institute.
They offered two classes on the weekend to about 50 students total. Hamm said people who attended the classes will benefit from it at this weekend’s dance.
“We’ve got an alternative to what we can do,” Hamm said.
They learned dances such as the waltz, tango, jive and cha-cha, as well as other dance moves and line dances like the electric slide. They said the moves are things you’d do with friends at work or at weddings.
“We learned how to cha-cha properly,” Simpson said.
Around the area
Kenton Ridge changed its dance policy last year to say that students must stay vertical at all times while on the dance floor. KR principal John Hill said there are plenty of chaperones at the dance who guide students when necessary.
“We let them know it’s not appropriate,” Hill said. “The kids are very well aware of it.”
Three years ago, the school began making every student take a Breathalyzer test before they’re allowed into the prom to help make dances a safer environment. If a student fails the Breathalyzer, they’re not permitted into the prom. Hill said they’ve never had a student fail a test since it began.
“They know the routine,” Hill said. “They know myself or someone else is going to be checking them. It’s just a reason not to do something dumb, especially when they’re driving. It’s been a good deterrent.”
Northwestern Principal Lori Swafford said her schools will also have plenty of chaperones who watch students during dances. She also works with DJs to keep music appropriate.
Springfield Principal Dr. Chris Shaffer said he hasn’t had many complaints about their dancing policy since it changed in 2009-10.
“They follow the rules,” Shaffer said. “They’re always looking to see if we’re watching, and we are. I think the kids appreciate it. We don’t get many complaints about it.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0366.
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