Pahrump homeschoolers dance the night away

Pahrump Valley’s homeschool youth were whisked away into the Enchanted Forest this month, with local Moose Lodge #808 hosting a night of dancing and revelry in honor of an age-old adolescent right-of-passage, prom.

“I think the homeschoolers’ dance went really well overall,” event lead Chanda Wieland told the Pahrump Valley Times afterward. “We were a little short on attendance, with about 23 kids compared to the last prom we had when there were about 32, but that could be due to the change in time, moving the event from May to March, or possibly due to the ticket prices, which we are reducing for the next dance. But everyone liked the variety of music on the playlist and they were really overwhelmed by our decorations. People were saying they couldn’t wait to see if we could top the Tim Burton and Harry Potter themes and they were not disappointed!”

As for the adults-only dance that followed the homeschoolers’ event, Wieland said it was a small turnout but as a very last-minute addition, that wasn’t entirely surprising. “We didn’t get to advertise that a lot beforehand so we are hopeful that the next one will be much bigger,” she remarked.

Despite a small crowd, the adults’ dance did what it was intended to do, raising some funds to support the next Smiles Across Pahrump event, slated for this summer.

“We raised enough to purchase one small bike and that’s really what the goal is, to try to have at least 25 bikes at Smiles Across Pahrump this year. So one down and 24 to go!” Wieland enthused.

“A big thank you to the Moose for allowing us to hold the event and Walt Turner for the DJ,” Wieland was quick to add. “I also want to thank our committee members, which included Dena Duff, David Hixenbaugh, Kendra Thorne, Tamara Martinez, Amber Perkins, Raylynn, Barrett and myself. And thank you to our volunteers who helped with set-up and tear-down the day after, including Destiny McKendrick, Shannon Arimura, Mike Kintzer and Walt Turner. Several of the kids helped the day of as well and if I missed anyone, I apologize.”

Fall Steampunk Ball

The Moose Lodge is now setting its sights on an autumn gathering, with the Fall Steampunk Ball set for Sept. 14. However, Wieland said the committee has learned a few things over the past three dances and the event will run a bit differently this time around.

“First of all, we’ll do an all-ages sample dance for kids under 10, so they can have the chance to check it out themselves,” Wieland explained. “They’ll be able to come dance for about 45 minutes, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. but this will be dancing only, no refreshments included. We’ll also be opening the doors to our homeschool students ages 10 to 18, or grades six through 12, at 5 p.m. that evening. This will be the ‘official’ dance and will include food, beverages, photos and lots of fun until 8 p.m.”

Wieland also noted that the price to attend the homeschoolers’ dance has been lowered. Tickets for the Fall Steampunk Ball are $20 each if reserved in advance or $30 at the door. “We will not be using EventBrite in the future for ticket sales, due to the online fees,” she added. “Email PahrumpMoose@gmail.com for ticket information.”

After the homeschoolers’ dance wraps up, Wieland said the committee is tentatively scheduled to host another adults-only dance beginning at 8:30 p.m. This will be open to the public at $10 per person or $5 each for Moose members, proceeds from which will benefit the Moose Lodge.

For more information on any of the above-mentioned events contact Wieland at PahrumpMoose@gmail.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com