Dancin' night away

MIDVALE — They came by the hundreds to dance, clap, sing and do all the things school kids do at their annual Christmas dance.

At the Jordan Valley School they also lined the walls, standing or sitting in chairs, listening to the music and waiting for a chance to get out on the dance floor.

And here, at the Jordan School District's school for disabled students, they didn't have long to wait. Nearly 100 students from the Brighton High School LDS Seminary joined in with the special needs students, asking them to dance, talk and step out for cookies and punch.

The Christmas dance is also an annual homecoming dance for the alumni of Jordan Valley School. Last year's homecoming queen, Natasha Kahn, 23, of Sandy, was excited to see her friends and teachers after a year. She was excited to see Santa Claus, and it took a bit of coaxing from her mother, Heather, to get her off his lap.

"She is so loving and wonderfully accepting of people," her mother said, as she introduced her to a reporter and Natasha insisted on hugging rather than a handshake.

Santa visits the dance every year to hand out candy canes, let the kids sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. The Jay Christensen band, Family and Friends, provides the dance tunes every year at no cost. The kids were rocking out to the sounds of the '60s with partners from the seminary or in groups holding hands and swaying together.

This was the 25th year for the dance, and it has created a remarkable compassion for the disabled, said Jared Swain, Brighton High seminary teacher. "Some of our students who have participated in this dance have gone on to become special needs teachers."

Principal John Gardner confirmed that assessment, adding, "We've had over the past 25 years several certified teachers who got their first real experience dealing with people with disabilities at these dances. Some of the seminary students have also called up and asked if they could work here, and we've hired them for summer programs."

The dance is one of the biggest events in the lives of the Jordan students and alumni. Some of them bathe twice on the day of the dance, just to be sure, and they buy their fancy clothes months ahead of the dance, Swain said.

Unlike a typical school dance where it wouldn't be cool to arrive on time, much less early, the Jordan kids start arriving up to an hour early, so excited are they to see their friends and listen to the music.