Regionals!

The other night Alvin and I got to talking about the regional dances that we went to when we were around 14 yrs old.

The regional dances in Kaysville were/are a big deal for any 14-15 year old in the area. My girl friends and I usually played out the same routine. The day or so before we’d all go to the mall and choose a new top to go with the black, stretchy, rayon skirt that we all owned. And to be sure we all had our signed (by a member of the bishopric) dance card on hand.

The afternoon before the dance we spent getting ready. I’m not sure why it took so long to get ready when it was basically the same thing every time but the 14 year old Nattie needed it to be perfect. Alvin said he would get a hair cut before each dance and carefully iron the same specific shirt to wear. This is classic; it was a button up that had small square pattern on it with a color scheme of purple, black and tan. What girl could resist that kind of hotness?!

I’m not sure how it went down in Jefferson, Oregon but when we got to the stake center behind Davis High in Kaysville we had to show our dance card and be checked for dress code. (This is starting to sound a lot like Foot Loose.) If you had a long enough skirt on and sleeves covering your shoulders you were allowed in. If the guys showed up without a tie on there were extras available at the door.

We’d generally wait in packs around the perimeter of the dance floor for a slow song to play. Then nervously you’d see the guys inch toward us until one of them was brave enough to ask one of us to dance. After the tension eased up we’d also brave a fast song here and there. You could see us standing in a circle attempting Heidi and Kristen’s dance moves such as the “fax machine”,” lawn mower”, and the “sprinkler head”.

I’m not sure who they hired to be the DJ but to be sure the following songs were always played: “God must have spent a little more time on you” – by N’Sync, “I’m already there” – by Lone Star, “With or without you” – by U2, “I knew I loved you before I met you” – by Savage Garden, and the “The Chicken Dance”, just to name a few.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to get in trouble at one of these dances. Not to the point of getting myself kicked out, I just liked to dance too close on the slow songs. (With the ranging King girl hormones can you blame me?) The chaperone couple would tap my dance partner’s shoulder and slide a triple combination between us. Yeah and that worked for like 30 seconds. I don’t think security was as high in Jefferson, Oregon. Alvin was able to mack on some girl in the overflow without too much notice.

It’s funny to look back at all the drama and big to-do that surrounded regional dances back then. It was usually the highlight of our month if there wasn’t something going on at school. What were your regional dances like? Much like Napoleon Dynamite’s Prom?

Pedro: Well, what are you going to wear to the dance?
Napoleon Dynamite: Just like a silk shirt or something. What are you gonna wear?
Pedro: Dad has something for me. But you should probably get a suit.