With this year’s homecoming dances in the history books and winter formals on their way, schools must continue to contend with the over-sexual dance moves that students use. Los Alamitos High School, like many others, uses a contract/ permission slip that the students must sign so they know there are limits.

For the most part, this method seems to work. According to Los Alamitos High School Principal Dr. Grant Litfin, “I have not had phone calls or e mails with concern about it. Our kids know what’s right and what’s wrong. If you set a standard, they typically live up to it.” Litfin indicated that so far this year, no students have been removed from a school function for inappropriate dancing.

Since the students haven’t given the high school trouble about this, no policy changes are planned. According to school officials, the high school wants to provide students with a fun and safe environment without micromanaging, hence the contract. The contract, although lacking specifics of what moves are ok, may still address the concern without getting too involved. Litfin said “There is no freak dancing and the kids all know what that is. The kids have a decent barometer. They know when they’re doing something wrong.”

Bending over or putting hands on your knees are examples of moves which are considered inappropriate. Even though schools try to monitor and keep a control on inappropriate dancing, these efforts are complicated by new forms of entertainment. The now popular teen nightclubs such as Club Starz encourage this style of dance, so it’s becoming harder to completely avoid the trend.

Litfin said “It’s very difficult to have two different sets of standards for those kids—one where there are no rules at those clubs and then to come to school where there is a set of rules.” But, a parent from Los Alamitos said "Well, I think it’s also about the lyrics and beat, because those just encourage it. I’m sure if the school started blaring the soundtrack from The Sound of Music, the style would change drastically, but it isn’t just one factor.”

In fact, there is a web site (www.schooldancenetwork.com) which publishes a list of songs which they consider to be inappropriate for schools. They review the lyrics of all the new songs and update the list weekly.

But from the students’ point of view, parents should know that for the most part, this style of dance is just a harmless phase teens are going through. Annalee Magrann, a sophomore student from Los Alamitos High School, said "I think the style of dance is fun for a certain amount of time but people take it too far.” Perhaps it could seem taken too far because of the ages of students dancing. Another Los Alamitos parent, Kimberly Maynard, stated with reference to actor John Lithgow who played the anti-dancing pastor in the 1984 film Footloose, "I think that even though it is an issue, principals are getting a little too John Lithgow at the schools.”

Some students consider dance, no matter what kind, as a mode of self-expression and might resist monitoring or control. However, if it is only a dance, then it is just part of a trend which might offer some relief to parents. Dance and music are ever-changing so who knows what the next controversial dance style will be? After all, the discos went out of style eventually.

Additional reporting contributed by Dolores Barr