From homecoming to prom, high school dances are a long-standing tradition and an important milestone for teens. It’s a time for them to relax from their studies, have a blast with their friends, and create lifelong memories. Make this year unforgettable with these helpful planning tips and fun school dance ideas.
Of course, don’t forget the preteens! Many of these tips and ideas can be applied to middle school dances as well.
Start with the basics
Before you can get into the fun part of school dance planning, you need to gather your team and deal with the not-so-fun things like budgets and fundraising.
Form your committee
Dance committees can be made up of student council officers, faculty advisors, and PTA members. Try to ensure the student body is accurately represented within your planning committee. For example, your senior prom should have a representative from the senior class.
You’ll also want to recruit volunteers to help with the setup and tear down of each dance. Create signup sheets in the weeks leading up to each dance to see which students want to lend a hand. You can also partner with other school clubs to source volunteers.
Determine your budget
Unfortunately, planning school dances isn’t free. From decorations to music to refreshments, there are costs involved that must be covered somehow. Talk with school officials to see what money, if any, has already been budgeted to go toward social activities like dances. Then set a total budget for all dances and use donations and fundraising to fill the gaps.
Raise some funds
In addition to planning your school dances, you might want to plan some fundraisers to help raise money and collect donations. Work with your PTA to organize events like bake sales, raffles, and car washes. You can also use ticket sales from ticketed events to build your budget for bigger dances like prom.
Break out the calendar
There are many milestone occasions throughout the school year that are worthy of a dedicated school dance. At the start of the year, think about which celebrations you want to throw and mark down some tentative dates.
🎒 Back-to-School
Start the school year off with some high-energy fun in a laid-back environment. A back-to-school dance is a great way to welcome students with high spirits and casual vibes to set the tone for the months ahead. A carnival or circus theme would be perfect for this.
🏈 Homecoming
A spirited affair tied to a school’s homecoming football game, this event unites current and former students for a night of nostalgia and school pride. Students can get dressed up after the game to head to the homecoming dance, where a queen and king can be crowned.
🎃 Halloween
A Halloween dance offers a fun twist on traditional school dances. There are all kinds of spooky theme ideas that will create a fun and eerie atmosphere. Encourage creativity by asking students to dress up and host a costume contest!
❄️ Winter Formal
A glamorous midwinter event, a winter formal is a chance for students to don elegant attire and dance the night away in a sparkling, winter wonderland-themed setting. Plan it for December to close out the semester or launch the second half of the year with the formal in January.
🏀 Courtwarming
Celebrating basketball season, a courtwarming dance brings students together to show support for their basketball teams while enjoying music, dancing, and friendly competition. You can even crown a courtwarming queen and king, as well.
🌷 Spring Fling
As the weather warms, the spring fling dance exudes a lighthearted atmosphere, often featuring bright decorations and casual attire. This is a chance for students to celebrate blossoming friendships and new beginnings. Oh hey, that could be the theme!
🪩 Prom
Ah, the pinnacle of high school dances. Close out the school year and your seniors’ high school journey with a night to remember. Plan the perfect prom with a sophisticated venue, an epic theme, and awesome music as students get dressed to the nines and dance the night away.
👉 You might also like: 12 Entertaining After-Prom Ideas to Keep the Party Going
Get to planning!
Once you’ve got your school dances scheduled out for the year, it’s time to start planning. The good news is that with each one you plan, the more seamless they will be as you learn what works and what doesn’t.
Hammer out the details
Take it one school dance at a time. Gather your committee and start figuring out the specifics for your upcoming dance. Determine things like:
📅 Date – Consider conflicts like other school events, exams, and holidays.
🏫 Venue – Keep in mind that off-campus locations will cut into your budget.
👗 Attire – State whether it will be a casual or formal event in your posted details.
🎫 Tickets – Not every dance needs to be ticketed, but you should decide this in advance.
Once you have those details in place, you can move on to the good stuff!
Choose the decor
Every school dance needs a theme of some kind. This will help you choose a color scheme, design your posters, and plan out your decorations. Keep it simple with a seasonal theme like fall or winter. Or, go all out with costumes or formal attire, like a cool 50s sock hop or a mysterious masquerade ball.
If you’re having trouble deciding on a fitting theme, just stick with all your classic dance motifs. Fill your venue with bright colors and hang a giant disco ball above the dance floor. Or you can go neon with black lights and glow bracelets for a fun and easy theme.
🥳 Looking for more ideas? Check out these 20 Party Themes for Any Celebration.
Plan refreshments
Your dancing teens will be thirsty and may work up an appetite, so you’ll want to have some simple snacks and easy drinks on hand. Punch is a staple for most high school dances, but you can also serve soda and Gatorade. And of course, have plenty of water available!
Keep the food simple for your high school dance. For a casual gathering, you could do pizza or light appetizers. Otherwise, just go with veggie trays, a variety of chips, and some sweets like cookies and candy.
🍬 Pro tip: For additional fundraising, sell snack tickets in advance to be used to redeem certain food and drinks.
Book your entertainment
For most high school dances, all you need to do is hire a professional DJ for a successful event. However, if your budget allows, there are other fun ways to engage students both on and off the dance floor.
🎵 Live Music
Consider splurging and booking a cover band rather than a DJ. You can find a group that plays all the current top 40 hits, from pop to hip hop. Having a live show gives those students who don’t love to dance something to watch and enjoy from the sidelines.
🤹 Fun Performers
Book exciting entertainers that add to your ambiance and fit your school dance theme. Think jugglers for a circus event, strolling magicians for a magical atmosphere, or face painters for a Halloween celebration.
📸 Photo Booth
Your teens will want to capture some awesome pictures to share on Snapchat or Instagram, so a photo booth is a must-have. Many photo booth companies have digital sharing options built in, so they can strike their pose and share it right away!
🎉 You might also like: 30 Prom Entertainment Ideas for an Extraordinary Evening
Once everything is in place, it’s time to get the word out. Hang posters around the school and create social media events to get the buzz going. Give students plenty of notice so they can start planning their awesome fits! 💃
Ready to book something awesome for your high school dance? Find DJs, bands, photo booths, and more on GigSalad.
Heather is the Content Manager and a GigSalad veteran of 15+ years. She loves helping event planners create unforgettable celebrations and talent make a living doing what they love. When not at work, she enjoys reading romance and fantasy books, bingeing TV shows, playing board games, and spending time with friends.