With the middle of the winter season approaching, an exciting Sequoia tradition is on the horizon: the Winter Formal dance. This year’s Winter Formal will be held on the final day of the month, Jan. 31, from 8 to 11 p.m.

It will be hosted in Redwood City’s own historic Fox Theatre, located in the heart of the downtown area, and attendees of all four grades can expect a warm, casino-themed experience. Formal attire is suggested, but not required at this event. The dance offers a different experience to Sequoia’s Homecoming and Prom dances.

“This is […] really, the only time that all four grades, every student in our student body, has the opportunity to […] get dressed up, go for a night out on the town and have a dance on an off-campus, […] cool local venue,” Sequoia’s Student Activities Director, Corey Uhalde, said.

This dance is meant to serve as a formal, while still exciting, venture for students to enjoy and have a festive time to remember.

“The winter formal has been our best-attended dance. And so I think that’s […] reflective of the excitement people have about getting away from the high school campus and going to the Fox […], It’s also nice because it’s just part of the downtown scene of Redwood City, so kids can go out to dinner beforehand [and] they can hang out there after the fact.”

The annual Sequoia tradition of the Winter Formal dance being held at Redwood City’s historic Fox Theatre certainly helps it stand out from others, and this tradition should be upheld for the foreseeable future.

“[The] reviews are generally positive […] until something changes, that’s my goal, [to continue hosting the Winter Formal at the Fox],” Uhalde said.

This dance is the first large schoolwide event of the second semester where many students can interact with one another outside of a school setting.

“[The winter formal is] a big kick off to the second semester […] Many good events happen on the calendar over the course […] [of] January and June, and this is really the first time that the whole student body is […] getting together [during this strech],” said Uhalde.

So far, it seems that this coming iteration of the dance will have a plentiful amount of attendees, with ticket sales so far on pace to be similar to or even exceeding those of last year. Students can expect a great time with friends, complete with a casino-themed environment in one of Redwood City’s most historic locations.