Dear Maggie —
I need a little clarity before I emotionally commit to something that may or may not exist. I see that the Family Dance is on the calendar for this Friday… but I’m having flashbacks to last year when it was also on the calendar and then—poof—gone. No explanation. No follow-up. Just vibes.
At one point, I genuinely questioned whether I had imagined the whole thing. Was it ever real? Did I hallucinate it between carpool and track practice? I’m not saying anyone was gaslighting us, but I am saying I felt like I was being gently nudged into believing I had dreamed the entire event. I half expected someone to come around Men in Black–style with a little flashing device and say, “You never saw that on the calendar.”
And what happened to the organizer? Did Lindsey Trame enter some sort of temporary witness protection program? Blink twice if you’re okay, Lindsey.
So before I start planning outfits, negotiating bedtime extensions, and mentally preparing for middle schoolers pretending they’re too cool to attend… can you confirm:
Is the Family Dance actually happening this year??
— Doubtful Deb
Dear Doubtful –
First of all, let me assure you—you did not imagine it. The Family Dance was, in fact, on the calendar last year. And then it wasn’t. And then… we all just sort of collectively moved on as if nothing happened. A true community-wide “nothing to see here” moment if I’ve ever witnessed one. It was really quite impressive if I do say so myself.
Frankly, I haven’t seen that level of quiet disappearance since 1025 Scotland, and trust me—we were very good at making things vanish back then.
But THIS year? Oh, it’s real. It’s happening. It is alive and well and ready to cha-cha its way into your Friday night.
That’s right, Deb—the Family Dance is BACK.
No smoke. No mirrors. No calendar illusions. Just good, old-fashioned awkward dancing under fluorescent lighting. 💃
And I truly applaud all of you once again for putting on such an inclusive event. No more rotating schedule of confusion (is this year Father-Daughter, Mother-Son, Granny-Pet, etc.?) – just one dance to accommodate everyone. Bring the whole family! Or don’t!! It’s your call. And a heck of a lot easier than we used to do back in the day in Scotland – you think Father-Daughter is tough – try Father-Dragon! And no, I don’t mean the cute, child-like kind – I’m talking full-on fire-breathing!! We literally had more than one dance go up in flames.
As for Lindsey Trame, I can neither confirm nor deny her brief stint in what I can only assume was a highly classified operational hiatus. What I can tell you is that she has re-emerged, stronger than ever, and appears fully committed to making this year’s dance happen. We thank her for her service. Truly.
That said… while she has been the undisputed Family Dance guru for the past several years, I hear that she would happily pass the torch if anyone feels called to step into the role next year — whether that means planning the dance… or, based on last year, not planning it at all. 😂
Now, let’s talk expectations (and logistics, because we are nothing if not prepared):
- The dance runs 6–8 PM for all grades, followed by a 4th–8th grade after-party from 8–9:30 PM — because nothing says “growing up” like earning an extra 90 minutes of supervised chaos.
- The theme is Decades of Dance, so expect everything from poodle skirts to neon windbreakers to at least one dad who takes “disco” far too seriously.
- Very light refreshments will be served — and when they say “very light,” I suggest you feed your children beforehand unless you’d like them surviving solely on a single cookie and vibes.
But here’s the thing—it’s fun. It’s chaotic. It’s a little sweaty, a little loud, and exactly the kind of memory your kids will talk about years from now.
So plan the outfits. Embrace the chaos. And go ahead and clear your Friday night—because this time, it’s really happening.
And if it disappears again next year?
Well… we’ll all just pretend this conversation never happened.
Shimmies & skepticism,
— Maggie
