LAKE STEVENS — Teenagers and senior citizens have a reason to put on their dancing shoes.
A Valentine’s Dance, organized by the Lake Stevens Youth Advisory Council and Lake Stevens Senior Center, is planned from 5 to 8 tonight in the cafeteria at North Lake Middle School.
T
his will be the third year the groups have hosted the event. Last year more than 100 people attended the inter-generational dance.
“We needed to find a way to get seniors to talk to teens because seniors always seem like they’re really afraid to talk to teenagers,” said Jasmyn Friend, a member of the Youth Advisory Council.
The annual dance is one activity both age groups can enjoy together, she added.
“The seniors may be a little bashful at first but then everyone is getting along and joking with each other,” said Friend, 16.
Teens and seniors have paired off during past dances to share favorite dance music and steps. Music from the 1940s to the present is planned for this year’s event, said Kirsten Mueller, a program coordinator at the Lake Stevens Family Center.
“The DJ does a good job at taking requests from the seniors and taking requests from the teens and mixing them up for the evening, letting them both enjoy each others music,” Mueller said.
The teens decorate the cafeteria with pink, red and purple decorations before the event. Members of the Youth Advisory Council also spent their time during their meeting last week to learn a few line dancing steps taught by instructor Miwa Morita.
Joyce Bell, a member of the Senior Center, has attended past Valentine’s dances and watched the line dancing lesson unfold.
“It’s great fun,” she said. “It’s a joy to see the seniors and youth together.”
Chase Evans, 16, plans to attend the dance for a third consecutive year. This time, he said, he wants to dress up as Cupid.
“I’m going to try to find a bow and some arrows,” he said. “I might even have wings.”
The dance is a comfortable way to get to know people in his community, Chase added.
“Normally I avoid older people or people who aren’t my age but there (at the dance) it’s more of a neutral spot,” he said.
A suggested donation of $5 per person includes dinner and dancing for the evening.
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
Valentine’s Dance
A Valentine’s Dance for teens and seniors is planned from 5 to 8 tonight in the cafeteria at North Lake Middle School, 2202 123rd Ave. NE in Lake Stevens. The event is organized by the Lake Stevens Youth Advisory Council and Lake Stevens Senior Center.
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