
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997                TAG: 9704190128

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COVER STORY 

SOURCE: BY BARBARA J. WOERNER, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  103 lines

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY AT THE MALL DARKENED SHOP WINDOWS AND A GURGLING FOUNTAIN PROVIDED THE ATMOSPHERE AT COX HIGH'S RING DANCE.

IT WASN'T A midnight madness sale attracting that long line of gleaming white limos in front of Lynnhaven Mall last Saturday night.

As shoppers and employees left the mall at closing time, a dazzling and colorful crowd in formals and tuxedos waited to enter.

``Are you actually having a junior prom in there?'' asked an incredulous shopper.

``We're from Cox High and this is our ring dance and, yes, we're holding it in the mall,'' replied a tuxedo-clad young man from across the parking lot.

Inside, the lights were low, the center court fountain gurgled, teens sparkled and the darkened shops made it look like a scene from main street of any town, USA.

Students Corinne Norman and Nick Uebelhoer were ready to dance the night away at the mall. ``We have such a large class that it's hard to find the right place for us,'' said Norman. ``We'll have more money for our prom next year because of what we saved by having it here.''

Uebelhoer said he's easy to please. As long as there was plenty of dance floor space, he didn't care where the dance was held.

Ranada Lewis and Vernon Thompson agreed, saying they found the mall location unique. ``It's a good idea, but I'm always glad to be dancing with my friends,'' said Lewis as they danced their way into the throng at center court.

The dance in the mall idea was many months in the making. Student Kathie Dickinson, co-chairman of the ring dance committee, along with Betsy Swiader, said that a group of 30 students began meeting last summer to work on the event.

``We heard that other schools in different parts of the country have had their dances in shopping malls,'' Dickinson said. ``We thought that this would be something new and different for us as a class.''

They contacted Tammy Dodson, mall marketing director, and presented their idea.

``They had such a good plan worked out for the event and were so enthusiastic when they approached us, that we couldn't turn them down,'' said Dodson. ``We had never done anything like this before.''

Dickinson, Swiader and the ring dance committee are living proof that you can get bargains at a mall. When the fine details were worked out with Dodson and the mall staff, the Cox junior class only had to pick up the tab for the cleaning crew and the security personnel. No one walked away empty-handed either, as mall stores donated coupons, tokens and other items to be given to each student attending the dance.

``Teen-agers are our customers, too,'' said Dodson. ``After-hours entertainment is a good way to keep our customers coming back and we feel that the mall is conducive to hosting events like this one.''

Not all class members were enthusiastic when told their ring dance would be at mall.

``We really worked hard to sell the idea and at first we weren't sure how this was going to go,'' said Vera Wyche, junior class advisor and social studies teacher at Cox. ``The ring dance is the highlight of the junior year and the trend is to get out of the high school facilities and use other places to host this event.''

According to Wyche, the idea caught on and the ``floodgates opened'' with 630 tickets sold before the event.

Not everyone was thrilled with the venue, though.

Mike Ross and Jackie Taylor stood patiently against the pale backdrop set up near the carousel while a photographer adjusted a collar, fine-tuned their pose and finally tripped the shutter.

``I really don't like having this in the mall,'' said Ross. ``It's kind of cheesy in a way,'' He said that his first choice would have been a ballroom, but the mall was definitely a better choice than the school gym.

Brooke Whitmore agreed, although she was at the opposite end of the dance area - at the mall's upper level where she had just received her class ring.

``I would have preferred a first-class hotel,'' she said, as she stepped toward the escalator that would take her back to the packed dance floor. ``This is our ring dance - our only ring dance - that's why I came.

Actions seemed to speak louder than words. Dancers were energetic and smiling and the music loud. Along the periphery groups gathered to laugh, talk and eat from tables piled high with pizza bread, sandwiches and other party foods.

Dickinson said other local schools have already commented favorably on the event and its location.

``A lot of times at ring dances, everyone leaves after they get their rings,'' she said. ``This time everybody stayed and by the time it was over, some who were negative about it were commenting on what a great time they had at the dance.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos including color cover by L. TODD SPENCER

Matthew McConaughey and Brittany Rudat were two out of 630 who

attended the junior ring dance.

Cox juniors enter Lynnhaven Mall after closing, when the mall

becomes a giant dance floor for the ring dance.

Classmates travel up the escalator to receive their class rings and

go back down to a packed dance floor.

A few Cox juniors find a quiet place to sit and rest on the

carousel.

After shoppers and employees left Lynnhaven Mall at closing time,

Cox High School students arrived in dazzling formals and tuxedos for

their junior ring dance.