After two years of being stuck inside during online school, with no way to participate in clubs in-person, to talk face-to-face with friends, or to go to any school events, semi was one of the first dances we’ve had since the pandemic. Naturally, people have a lot to say about it.
Whether to spend time with friends or just out of boredom, there were a variety of reasons why people wanted to go in the first place. “I have never been to a high school dance before [so] I thought it would be fun,” said AJ, a Grade 11 student. For many, semi was the first dance they attended. Allenna, a Grade 12 student, went because everyone she knew was also going. “Dancing is really fun and watching people dance is really funny.” “I wanted to escape home for a little bit, and I wasn’t busy that day,” said a Grade 9 student.
Expectations vs. Reality
The actual dance was generally well-received, aside from a couple things. For example, AJ shared that the music wasn’t really their taste. The Grade 9 student said that semi was exactly what she expected it to be: “Nothing more, nothing less, pretty average. Honestly, if the food was better it would’ve been nice.” For Allenna, the dance was a bit more awkward and tiresome than she predicted. “I am a big advocate for sitting in bathroom stalls with your friends”, she said. Despite this, most people had a good time. “The reality [met] my expectations and it was way more fun with my friend,” said AJ.
People also shared some of the highlights of their time at the dance. “My favourite part was when the DJ played Butter by BTS and a dance circle was formed around Vincent Sun (@ok.but.who.asked.tho),” said Allenna. She also wished a slow song was played, since she “[thinks] couples are super gross but cute”. For AJ, they enjoyed the food and spending time with friends.
The verdict?
When asked about their opinion on having more dances in the future, ideas and suggestions for future themes were shared with enthusiasm. “[A] theme I have in mind would be dark academia, or [to] dress like a Netflix series protagonist”, said AJ. They’d like to dress up as characters from Alice in Wonderland, like the Cheshire Cat, Queen of hearts of the Mad Hatter. Allenna, who said she loved dances, suggested monthly musician-themed dances, “like ‘BTS month’ and ‘Ed Sheeran month’”.
All in all, the interviewees had a positive impression of semi and are looking forward to similar events in the future. With life slowly returning back to normal, no wonder people were excited to attend a dance, with it being a trademark of a regular high school experience. “It was really nice to have a reason to dress up and have fun with friends,” said AJ.
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