While life at Branson can often feel busy and fast-paced, events like these rekindle school spirit and provide opportunities for meaningful connection among students of all ages. Dancing with friends and classmates provides a chance to let go, enjoy the evening, and sing along to music.

As vulnerable as it can feel to move your body and take up space on the dance floor, the energy is vibrant and you become a part of the crowd. This gives students a chance to step out of their comfort zone in a safe environment and engage with all members of the community.

The crowd at Winter Formal was ecstatic, jumping to the beat of the songs, hands raised and smiles adorned as students screamed the lyrics to their favorite songs.

Rock Band opened the evening with a killer setlist of over an hour of classic songs from Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” to Taylor Swift’s “Better Than Revenge.”

The crowd swelled at the base of the stage, cheering on their performing friends and enjoying the music.

Kaia Hayes ‘24, a member of Senior Senate, shared what it is like to be on the committee organizing such a beloved tradition and the tasks that come along with it.

“We [Hayes, Lillie Lehman, Cameron Aryanpour] looked up a bunch of different venues [and] took notes on all these different places that we had to look at,” she said.“It’s a long process to find out where the dance is going to be, what kind of music is being played, what food is being served.”

Maura Vaughn, senior class dean, shared what senate kept in mind when planning the event.

“The Winter Formal is intended to be a fun event for everyone,” she said. “The class senate members are thinking about the whole school but especially the underclassmen, because they do not attend prom until their junior year.”