Selecting aHomecoming Dance themeis often one of the first decisions a homecoming planning committee will make, therefore careful thought and consideration should take place when selecting one.  One of the best ways of selecting a theme is to have a time to brainstorm with all thehomecoming committeemembers. This time should be spent thinking of as many potential themes as possible.

Before your meeting, pass out a list of criteria that each theme must try to meet. Somehomecoming themeswill go for a romantic, unique, and elegant theme; while others will have more of a fun and club like feeling. What is your desired goal and what direction would you like to take your theme? With this question in mind, you’ll want to assign research tasks to several of yourhomecoming committeemembers.

Some great ideas on where to find themes:

Song titles. So many current songs are romantic, and have great, poetic lyrics. Consider bringing a list of some current and upcoming songs to the meeting for everyone’s consideration. You may want to checkout the Billboard Dance Charts for some ideas.

Although everyone will arrive at this meeting with several of their own theme ideas, it’s key that you don’t begin selecting favorites until you’ve met as a group. Try to come to the brainstorm meeting with an open mind, and be ready to listen and give your selections when asked.

At the end of your brainstorming session, you should have compiled a list of everyone’s favorite homecoming theme ideas. Now comes the hard part of narrowing down your list. To narrow down the list you won’t want to choose a winner right away; you’ll just want to work on narrowing down your top ten choices that everyone can live with.

Once you’ve narrowed down the field to a few final choices, you’ll want to ask the following questions:

Is this theme easy to work with? Will it work with decorations, colors and favors, or will we have trouble finding things to “fit” the theme? Is the theme fitting to the mood of our school?  Is it timeless? Will students look back on their special theme, or will it seem goofy and outdated in a scrapbook?  It’s important to remember that your school has its own personality so some choices may fit better than others.

After you’ve weighed all the options against these standards, it’ll be time for a vote. When voting, remember to keep your entire student body in mind. You’ll want to choose a theme that reflects their tastes and not just your own.   In conclusion, remember that every strong theme can be made into a perfect night all you need is a little effort and creativity.