”The prom of the oldies” Wanhojentanssit

The prom of the oldies is a traditional celebration of the highschool´s new seniors. On this big night 2nd graders become 3rd graders, which means they will become the oldest class in highschool This tradition is quite old in Finland. In Juankoski it started in the 80s.

The preparation The prom night isn’t of course just a one-day thing,it needs a lot of preparation, the dance practise starts about 2 months before the big night BUT the girls start their own preparation many,many months earlier. They set up the date for the make-up and hairdo and start looking for the perfect dress. Usually the boys don’t have to see so much trouble, they only have to get a fine suit and shoes.

The prom night Dancers get to eat a fancy supper at school The prom includes about 7 different dances, from old classics like a walz to an Argentin tango. ( Plus a separate dance with the students’ own choreography,which isn’t so serious ;) Some of the dance names are Cicapo, The Rose Of Texas, The Viennese Walz,,,,

The prom lasts a few hours. After the prom the dancers leave for some after-prom party. Usually they’ve rented some cottage,etc place for celebration. The evening is very tiring, because they have to dance in many places. Here in Juankoski they dance twice at school ( for the secondary school students and in the evening for their family members and friends), once in Kaavi and once at the old people’s home.