MUKILTEO – In protest against a Kamiak High School ban on freak dancing, students plan an alternative homecoming dance tonight.
The school will have its own homecoming dance, but without any suggestive dancing.
After Keith Rittel, the school’s new principal, took office in September, Kamiak started strictly enforcing an old but largely ignored ban on freak dancing.
The ban had been imposed because the dancing, which involves dancers grinding against each other to fast music, is sexually explicit, said Kristina Corbitt, 17, who helped plan the alternative dance.
The ban escalated later to include any music that encourages sexually suggestive dancing, the students say.
“It’s kind of ridiculous they are saying this is sexually explicit” when every dance, even the bunny hop, can be so, said Corbitt, a Kamiak senior.
Rittel couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday.
The ban violates freedom of expression guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, Corbitt said.
The ban allows adult chaperons to subjectively decide what dancing is appropriate, she said. She has no problems with couples freak dancing, even though she personally doesn’t participate, Corbitt said.
Morgan Lauren, 17, a junior, helped Corbitt organize the alternative homecoming dance.
“I don’t like freak dancing, but I don’t think that’s a right to be taken away from students,” Lauren said.
Freak dancing is like “sexual intercourse with clothes on,” said Andy Muntz, manager of public communications for the Mukilteo School District. “That’s not appropriate at school. There is no question about it.”
Kamiak is not the only high school to ban freak dancing. Everett High School asks students not to perform it and intervenes when they don’t follow the rule, principal Pat Sullivan said.
“We want to have an environment where everyone feels welcome and where it’s safe,” Sullivan said.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, Corbitt and Lauren and other students were across the street from Kamiak selling tickets for tonight’s alternative event. They wore T-shirts that read: “We just wanna dance. Off-campus homecoming 2004.”
They had sold about 350 tickets Friday and had already broken even, Corbitt said. All the proceeds will go to the high school’s student body to help pay for school events such as a prom.
The alternative dance will have two police officers and about 25 adults to ensure safety, Corbitt said. A few adults will search bags for drugs and alcohol.
“We want to keep this safe and clean dancing,” she said.
Dan Corbitt, Kristina Corbitt’s father, said he and his wife, Carol Baer, have stayed neutral on their daughter’s plan. They are helping to make the event safe, Dan Corbitt said, and think highly of the education the school offers their daughter.
“We’re trying to be good parents,” he said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@ heraldnet.com.
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