Technology and human actions have become extraordinarily complex and vast since the dawn of the 21st century. As a result, school and university students have to work extra hard to pass their exams and graduate in their specialized studies. 

Therefore, it is only fitting that students, especially college students, celebrate that much more with their classmates at the end of an academic year and at the end of their final year at their university to commemorate their academic achievements. 

Enter ‘Prom Night’. In this article, we’ll discuss what is prom night, why and how it is celebrated, what kind of clothing should boys wear for prom nights, how to choose the right partner for you for your prom night dance, and some fun activities that you can do after your prom dance. So, kindly read on to find out. 

What is Prom Night and How is it Celebrated?

Prom is the abbreviation of promenade which means to walk around in a formal and showy manner. The tradition of promenade started in 1800. At promenade parties, fiances and newlyweds used to dress up formally and walk around in a showy manner to display their wealth and class to the guests present at their respective promenade parties. Promenade became a very popular tradition by the end of the 19th century (1899) and evolved into a formal dance by the beginning of the 20th century (1900). 

Promenades also became adopted by universities and became meant for college students rather than newly wedded couples and fiances by the beginning of the 20th century. Also, the promenade was shortened to “prom” by university students. Prom is a very popular college tradition in the US to date. 

Prom marks the transition to adulthood from adolescence for college students. Great attention to prom night dress and celebrations is given by college boys and girls for the prom night. Junior and senior high school students usually follow up prom night dance celebrations by watching movies, going to pubs, going to bowling alleys, eating pizzas, going to amusement parks, etc. 

How to Choose Your Prom Night Dress and Your Prom Night Dance Partner (for college boys)?

For college boys, a white full-sleeve shirt tucked into a formal black or navy-blue pant fastened by a formal belt with a tuxedo on top decorated with a tie or a bow tie is the appropriate attire for a prom night dance. Oh, and you must also wear black formal leather shoes for the prom night dance. Such formal attire makes a college student look professional, handsome, and well-mannered. 

The important thing to note about prom attire for college boys is that the color of the formal pants should exactly match the color of the tuxedo to give an even look to the prom attire. You don’t want to look awkward on a prom night dance, do you? Dressing professionally and attractively is one of the important purposes of prom night dance. Your attire on prom night will reflect your family’s wealth, status in society, and class. 

When it comes to choosing the ideal prom night dance partner for you, the first thing you got to remember is that it is not mandatory for anyone, a boy or a girl, to choose a dance partner for prom night dance. If you can afford your university’s prom night dance ticket price, you can attend the event solo. Since our society has come a long way since the 1900s, you can choose to bring your queer friend even from a different college to your college’s prom night dance event.

Some other key criteria that you must consider to choose the ideal dance partner for you for prom night dance are listed below. 

• You must know your dance partner well for a few years at least so that the both of you are comfortable with each other and can dance in sync. 
• Your dance partner’s character and family background must be good so that he or she doesn’t make any inappropriate advances towards you inappropriately touch you or behave rudely towards you at the event. 
• As a boy, you must be taller than or at least the same height as your dance partner lest it look awkward but that being said, our society has come a long way so anything goes these days. 
• Your dance partner must be okay if you dance with others when the situation arises at the prom night dance. She must not compel you to dance only with her, go out only with her after the prom dance, or even have sex with her after the prom night dance. Your dance partner must respect your freedom of choice and leave most of the things to your will. 
• It would be advantageous if your dance partner knows some formal dances like the ballet, ballroom, tap dance, fox trot, etcetera as mostly only formal music and songs will be played at prom dances. 

Last but not least, you must remember that it is not absolutely imperative for you to choose a dance partner for prom night dance. If you want, you can go alone or not go at all if you cannot afford the prom dance ticket price. 

Conclusion

Prom dance is a major event in all the colleges across the US. It is a tradition that has been cherished and upheld for centuries. Prom dance is an event where you can boast about your family’s wealth, status in society, and class. 

Many college boys and girls in the US plan their attire and outings for prom night months or even years in advance. College students in the US get to pick the theme (decorations for the prom dance hall based on a topic) and the DJ for the prom night dance on a voting basis. 

Some colleges in the US even have a voting for the prom king (boy) and the prom queen (girl) which is revealed only at prom night dance. This tradition however has been discontinued in several US universities as it sparks jealousy and conflicts between students and may not be accurate. 

We’ll repeat it once again. It is not mandatory for anyone to choose a dance partner for prom night. It is purely optional for everyone. Secondly, your prom dance partner need not be from the same university as you. He or she can be from another university. 

Last but not least, it is absolutely okay if you’re homosexual. You can bring your gay boyfriend or lesbian girlfriend to your college’s prom dance. Our society has come a long way and has become more tolerant and accommodating in modern times. 

FAQs

• What are some of the major things that college girls focus on for prom night dance?

Some of the major things that college girls focus on for prom night dance are:

• Their makeup.
• Hair styling.
• Manicure.
• Pedicure.
• Arranging a limo (Stretch Limousine) to commute. 
• Buying pretty dresses and flowers that suit the prom theme. 
• Finding an apt dance partner. 
• After prom dance entertainment options (including having sex). 

• How long does a prom dance usually last?

Prom dances usually last for 4 to 6 hours. They usually begin at 7 pm and go on until 10 pm or even 1 am the next day. 

• Is planning sleepovers popular among boys and girls after prom night dance?

Yes, planning sleepovers is quite a popular idea among college boys and girls after the prom night dance. About a quarter of all the college boys and girls in the US do it to discuss the prom night events with their classmates and have loads of fun together before graduating. Prom night photos are usually the most cherished photos that people in the US have of their college days. 

• What are the main purposes of prom night dance?

Apart from showcasing your family’s wealth, status in society, and its class; prom night dances are meant to reinforce one’s friendship with one’s classmates and create cherishable memories of one’s college life. 

• Why do girls obsess over prom nights more than boys?

Dressing glamorously with their prom night dress while having the apt makeup on to show off to their classmates means a lot more to girls than it does to boys. Hence, college girls in the US plan for their prom nights much more in advance (years in advance) than US college boys. 

• What kind of formal dances are popular on prom nights?

Formal dances like the Salsa, Foxtrot, Ballet, Tap Dance, and Bachata are popular in the US on prom nights.