Sadie Hawkins dance
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In the United States, the Sadie Hawkins dance (also known as a snow ball, snowball, vice-versa, turnabout, TWIRP, or a Tolo) is a school dance, usually occurring in high schools, in which female students invite male students. This is in opposition of normal school dance traditions, such as prom, where male students invite female students. Traditionally, the Sadie Hawkins dance occurs during the autumn in November, or in some places January or February. The Sadie Hawkins dance is one of three dances that many high schools hold, the other two dances being prom and homecoming. Some schools simply hold regular dances in which certain songs are "snowball" or "Sadie Hawkins" songs in which girls choose whom to dance with.
The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after the Li'l Abner comic strip character Sadie Hawkins. November 15 was Sadie Hawkins day, when the unmarried women of Dogpatch got to chase the bachelors and marry the ones they caught. In America this caught on quickly and evolved into a dance where the women got to invite a man of their choice.
Usually, female and male partners choose to wear the same or extremely similar clothes in order to match. At a Sadie Hawkins dance, couples are easily distinguishable because of their matching clothes.
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[edit] Alternate Names
In some parts of the U.S., the Sadie Hawkins dance is referred to as a Tolo, a name derived from the Chinook Jargon word meaning to earn or win. Sadie Hawkins is also referred to as the snow ball, snowball, "Winter Formal" or "winterfest", a reference to its occurrence in the winter months. In Latter-day Saint Culture, one girl's choice dance is known as "Preference". In the Illinois area, the name Turnabout or King of Hearts is used. Another name used is TWIRP, which is an acronym for The Woman Is Required to Pay.
In some parts of the United States, the Sadie Hawkins Dance is called the "Sweetheart Swirl".
[edit] Other Meanings of a 'Snowball'
Some schools have songs in which are dubbed 'snowballs'. Also known as "speed dancing" (because of its similarities to speed dating) snowballs are when the DJ picks two people to start dancing (usually slow). Periodically the DJ shouts "snowball", signaling that now the dancing must find new partners, thus increasing the number on the floor. By the end of the song, most all the people at the dance are on the dancefloor. This is slightly different from a Sadie Hawkins Dance/Song because boys and girls can pick their partners. It is typically used by DJs to get the dancing starting, as school dances can be notoriously slow to start. In some areas people chosen to dance cannot refuse, thereby ensuring people get onto the dance floor, and thus the "snowball" gains momentum and grows.
[edit] References in popular culture
The 2001 album The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek by the Christian rock band Relient K features a song called "Sadie Hawkins Dance", about a male student who has not yet been asked for a date to the dance. At the end of the song, he is asked to the dance by a beautiful girl who is struck by his smoothness and talking ability.
On the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled "I Only Have Eyes for You", the story line revolves around a Sadie Hawkins dance in 1998 and flashbacks to a Sadie Hawkins dance in 1955.
On the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled "The Game", Data tells Wesley Crusher of his experience at a Sadie Hawkins dance at Starfleet Academy, and Wesley tells Data it's still held every year.
[edit] See also
- Prom dance, the most popular high school dance.
- Homecoming Dance, another popular high school dance.
