Over the past few years, the nature of school dances has been changing to better fit the times. It has become increasingly common to see girls asking boys to these dances or to see queer couples in attendance. The more progressive and inclusive school dances are, the better for under-represented students. One school dance tradition that has persisted despite being particularly outdated is the Sadie Hawkins Dance.
The Sadie Hawkins Dance- also called the Backwards or Girl’s Reverse Dance- is a school tradition where the girl is supposed to ask the boy to the event and perform the stereotypical role of males. This tradition originates from the Li’l Abner comic strip, created in the 1930s. The specific comic which birthed the Sadie Hawkins dance was a satirical feature about a woman who became tired of waiting for men to ask for her hand in marriage. Sadie Hawkins organized a race in which women would chase after men and, upon catching them, would force them into marriage. The tradition of the Sadie Hawkins dance is loosely based on the ideas of this comic strip.
While the Sadie Hawkins Dance does not involve women hunting down men and forcing their hand in marriage, it is founded on the misogyny that was normalized in the 20th century. The antiquated dance reinforces gender normativity by implying that it is out of the ordinary and quirky for women to ask men for a school dance or any partnership. This can disempower women and reinforces the expectation that women should be submissive toward men.
The Sadie Hawkins tradition also reinforces gender and heteronormative ideals in its failure to consider queer and non-binary students. When the dance was created, it was considered highly abnormal for someone to identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Even further, non-binary identities were almost entirely unheard of; in fact, the first occasion of someone gaining legal recognition as non-binary did not occur until 2016. These dynamics are very different now, considering the increasing awareness of LGBTQ+ identities. Based on data from the 2021 Gallup poll, approximately 20% of Generation Z individuals over eighteen now identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. These statistics prove the outdatedness of traditions like the Sadie Hawkins dance, which only considers male and female individuals and heterosexual relationships. It is crucial to challenge traditions that keep members of the LGBTQ+ community ostracized.
In efforts to challenge gender and heteronormativity, some schools are opting to replace the Sadie Hawkins dance. In 2015, the Phillips Academy, located in Andover, Massachusetts, replaced the Sadie Hawkins Dance with the Abbott Ball, named after the Abbott girl’s campus. The Director of Student Activities- Christopher Capano- said that they decided to do this based on the realization that they “want all [their] dances to be as inclusive as possible.” Other schools have simply been replacing the dance with winter balls or formals. These are straightforward solutions that can have a significant impact on allowing LGBTQ+ students and young women alike to feel more empowered.
It is important to avoid condemning school committees for traditions that have existed since before many of the schools that practice them were even established. Most schools that practice these traditions do not intend any malice; instead, many are unaware of such traditions’ implications and origins. Even though this is a nationwide discussion, Myers Park is also taking this issue into consideration. Ms. Fiore, who is in charge of Myers Park’s SGA, says,
“There has been discussion surrounding the name of the dance. [SGA] is willing and open to changing replace the name of the dance if it’s in the student body’s best interest.”
This is why it is essential to continue creating awareness surrounding issues like the inclusivity of school dances that affect groups that have been historically discriminated against.