Church Dance Memories

[_harmony]

Can anyone here explain what in holy Hell "dance with the broom" means?

Supposedly, the guys were supposed to dance with all the girls, not just one. A guy who danced with only one girl was given the broom to dance with, I guess to remind him of all the girls he hadn't danced with.

So was he supposed to drop the girl he'd spent all night dancing with and dance with a broom instead? Wouldn't she get jealous of the broom?

He was supposed to get the hint that there were lots of girls who weren't dancing, I guess. Had he danced with the broom, or with another girl, I'd have walked out and called my mom to come get me. I was nice, but I wasn't that nice!

And was there ever any guy with little enough backbone that he actually did, literally, dance with it instead of just laughing and propping it up in the corner?

I don't know. I didn't exactly haunt LDS dances when I was a teenager. I went to them with a date, never stag, so I wasn't one of the girls standing around the outside of the room, wishing I was dancing.

A friend of mine said when he was a teenager, he'd walk into the gym, grab the first girl standing around on the outside and dance. He'd work his way around the room, and dance with as many girls as he could. (He never danced with the broom), so many of the girls had at least one dance. Guys like him were rare. Mostly the guys brought dates who they danced with, or else stood around the refreshment table eating with their buddies, dancing with no one. More often than not, it looked to me like the girls danced with each other (in those days, girls didn't ask guys to dance. It simply wasn't done).

Even today when I attend ward dances, the girls really like dances like the line dances or Virginia Reels, where they don't have to have a partner and everyone can join in. Kids still gather in corners with their own gender, afraid to move out of their comfort zones.

[_barrelomonkeys]

I went to a few dances with my LDS friend when I was a pre-teen. I just remember spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom while my friend applied more clown make up.

[_harmony]

I went to a few dances with my LDS friend when I was a pre-teen. I just remember spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom while my friend applied more clown make up.

When you were a pre-teen? Only youth 14 and up are allowed at dances in my stake.

[_barrelomonkeys]

I went to a few dances with my LDS friend when I was a pre-teen. I just remember spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom while my friend applied more clown make up.

When you were a pre-teen? Only youth 14 and up are allowed at dances in my stake.

I was younger than 14. It was in the late 80's. I am 100% positive that it was in 7th grade. I was 12 for almost that entire school year.

[_harmony]

I went to a few dances with my LDS friend when I was a pre-teen. I just remember spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom while my friend applied more clown make up.

When you were a pre-teen? Only youth 14 and up are allowed at dances in my stake.

I was younger than 14. It was in the late 80's. I am 100% positive that it was in 7th grade. I was 12 for almost that entire school year.

Interesting how this totally correlated church isn't as conforming as we think it is. ;-)

[_KimberlyAnn]

Interesting how this totally correlated church isn't as conforming as we think it is. ;-)

We had periodic ward dances and twelve year olds were invited to participate. The minimum age for attending a stake dance was fourteen. I loved going to the dances until I was sixteen. By then, I usually had dates lined up that were a lot more fun than dodging Dallas.

KA

[_harmony]

Interesting how this totally correlated church isn't as conforming as we think it is. ;-)

We had periodic ward dances and twelve year olds were invited to participate. The minimum age for attending a stake dance was fourteen. I loved going to the dances until I was sixteen. By then, I usually had dates lined up that were a lot more fun than dodging Dallas.

KA

12 year olds don't get to attend ward or stake dances here. I think it's because they get stuck with the babysitting.

[_moksha]

I wasn't really a member of the Church during those teen or young adult years, but I do remember going to Church singles dances as an adult. In my first go around years with them, it was great that women vastly outnumbered men. When I did this later on, things had changed and men outnumbered women, but thank goodness many of the men did not dance, so I always was able to find someone. I must say that I enjoyed these dances and it was much easier to meet women there than at some local bar.

[_The Nehor]

I never liked Church dances. I now go once a year to remind myself why I don't go.

[_moksha]

So does the opportunity for some meaningful cupcake time still present itself at these dances?