A few years back when I was teaching high school, we' would have a few dances during the school hours at the end of the day. Kids picked the music and they generally wound up being affairs where a few danced and most stood around talking/listening. The staff deciced that we wanted a "50's Day" and a dance with it. This was in '89 and one of my more perceptive kids asked, "Mr. P....How come we gotta' have a 50's Day? When you were in school did they have a 30's Day?" I had to admit he had a point, but we went ahead anyway!!!

The dance was scheduled for the last hour of the day. Everyone dressed up, my Auto tech students really got into it, and we played some great stuff during shop time and I had a couple of great rods in for the day. I had recorded a tape for the dance which had an opening song of "American Pie" which played as they came into the gym. When it was over, I said that from that point on, ALL the music they'd be hearing was recorded before February 3, 1959.

It started with Buddy and the Cricket's doing "Peggy Sue".....Its hard not to "feel" that one, and continued on. Within 15 minutes almost EVERYONE was dancing! It was by far the most successful dance of the year and the kids couldn't wait til we had another. The same student came to me afterwards and said, "Okay Mr. P........You win." and then threw in, "Like always."

Spaw