Trumpets blare as drums thud along to a musical beat that sweetly fills the large, echoed space of the Millard North gymnasium. Swarms of people are on the dance floor as everyone swings along to the beat.

The Big Band dance is a long-standing tradition, occurring every spring at Millard North, without fault. This year, the dance is set for May 10, 2024. Current Band director, Mr. Placek who orchestrates the event, said he believed it had been going on for years before he arrived on the scene.

“The Big Band Dance has been going on for as long as I can remember. One of the tunes we play was actually composed for the Big Band Dance. And that was when Mr. Shepherd [a previous band director] was a director here, which would have been like 25 years ago,” Placek said.

In comparison to a traditional band concert, the Big Band Dance allows for an immersive experience where the Jazz Band can showcase their musical talents to their peers and provide a unique, playful genre of music.

“The Big Band Dance is actually a big performance for our jazz program. We have two jazz bands right now and they will both be performing sets, [which are] a small group of tunes. We kind of switch back and forth. So each group gets a break,” Placek said.

In addition, the event is open for all students, allowing individuals from different schools an excellent opportunity to socialize, dance, and partake in other activities the dance offers.

“From what students have said, it’s one of the most fun dances of the year just because it’s so different from everything else,” Placek said. “We have a silent auction and we have treats and refreshments. It’s just a lot of fun, very laid back, and casual,”

Junior Calista Nelson fully agrees. She expressed how the dance is one of her favorite events because it creates an environment where attendees can meet new people and also spoke about how the event benefits the upcoming eighth graders who perform in the dance.

“I love being able to hear the jazz bands perform, both from our school and from the middle schools,” Nelson said. “Being able to see everybody interact with each other [is great] because the transition between eighth grade and high school is hard. Being able to connect with people before actually moving up is really fun to watch,”

If people don’t know the dances, that’s not a problem. Before the event, a free lesson is offered where everyone is able to learn some dance moves.

“We have swing dance lessons before the dance actually starts with the Omaha Jitterbugs. They come in and teach dance lessons,” Placek said.

Besides dancing, socializing, and listening to the jazz band, there are other things you can do at the Dance, such as enjoying the complimentary dessert table and refreshments or participating in the silent auction.

“We get businesses to donate items. A lot of times there’s Husker football tickets [available for auction]. We’ve had artists donate their artwork, we’ve gotten Coach bags, we typically auction off some of our props from the fall show,” Placek said.

Senior Justin Thengvall is one of the musicians in the Jazz band. He plays the drums and is a featured soloist this year.

“It’s just super fun and it’s good because we don’t have a lot of opportunities to perform with the jazz band, so this is kind of our main performance,” Thengvall said. “It’s fun and it’s a different style of music that people can enjoy and get to dance to,”

Thengvall isn’t the only soloist that will be performing this year. Other musicians will display their talents during a select piece of music.

“For this year [the featured soloists are], Caleb McIvor, Justin Thengvall, Marin O’Malley and Emma VanBuskirk. We try to mix things up and just create a great atmosphere for everyone,”  Placek said.

Unlike your average dance, there is no select dress code that traditional dances tend to follow. The dance still follows Millard North guidelines, but there’s no need to buy a new dress or suit.

“We have people dress up in prom attire, we have people dress up in old time, 40’s swing dancing attire and we have people that come in shorts and a T shirt. So you know, it’s very casual.” Placek said.

The greatest part of the Big Band Dance is that the event is forever growing, and becoming bigger and better. New changes are constantly being made to improve the iconic event’s enjoyment and practicality.

“Before, the dance would just set up a little stage area in the corner of the auxiliary gym. We would close off the big gym, but over the past several years we’ve expanded to the entire gym.” Placek said. “We have tables and chairs on one side and on the other side is the dancing portion where people can actually sit in the bleachers and just sit and watch,”

All in all, the Big Band Dance has developed to be the perfect way for students to relieve stress on a spring Friday night when finals and other deadlines are looming. Make sure to check it out on May 10th; see you there!