Dances are a big part of many students’ high school careers. Countless fond memories are made. It’s a time when kids can relax and be with their friends. They can dress up, dance, play games, and not have to worry about the stress of school. Dances help enhance school spirit and are by far one of the most awaited events of the year.

Fruita has many different dances, ranging from Homecoming to more casual dances like the thrift shop dance. In recent years, the thrift shop dance was created in place of a winter formal. Attendees were asked to go to the thrift store and pick out an outfit that matched the theme. Though a creative idea, many students thought the idea of a winter formal was more appealing. The thrift shop dance had more casual themes and dress codes. There was dancing in the gym along with games upstairs on the decks. 

The idea of The thrift shop dance first started after COVID-19. A Junior, Margaret Thoele said, “I wasn’t at the high school for the first Thrift Shop, but when they did it the first time they had to think fast of a theme and idea for the dance because it was pretty last minute due to the Unity dance being canceled”. This idea allowed for all students to go and for a cheaper dance. Because of the thrift shop theme, many students found cheap outfits to wear. This also allowed for less stress around planning and preparing. 

This year, The decision was made to change the thrift shop dance to an official winter formal. Margaret Thoele added, “This was highly requested by FMHS students”. STUCO noticed that the attendance of the dance wasn’t too great, and decided that a winter formal would bring more people in. 

There is a lot that goes into planning a dance. Thoele added, “ We usually start with breaking into committees and we all work on different components, like decorations, tech, advertising, and then whatever extra things we want to add. ” Planning takes a lot of time and effort. It all pays off when people show up and have a great time. The people who put their time into the dances do all that they can to make sure that everyone can have a great time. 

All the hard work pays off when students show up dressed and ready to have fun. These dances bring students together and are a great time for friend groups.

The winter formal is on February 16, 2024. The dance will be the same, except for the dress code. Students are encouraged to show up in semi-formal attire, much like the homecoming dance. There will be music in the gym, a concession stand with specialty drinks, and amazing decorations. The theme will be masquerade. 

This dance will be a major change for FMHS students. It’s a new and exciting experience for many students and should bring many great memories for them. The change to a winter formal will be an interesting switch, but should be an incredible change for all the students attending.