Although many students appreciate and attend dances, they are often unaware of what it really takes to put on an event like Winter Formal.

The Associated Student Body (ASB) Dance Commission has been hard at work ever since homecoming, another huge dance commission-planned event that ended in late October.

Junior and ASB Dance Supervisor Megan Guillermo is mostly in charge of the event. Guillermo said, “Formal has taken many months to plan, and the whole process is really stressful.”

Despite the fact that the dance commission only has to put on three dances a year, the countless days spent for brainstorming and planning can add up to a lot.

“Being in high school takes up a lot of my time. Being in ASB as well as high school takes up my life,” said Dance Commissioner and sophomore Amelia Armstrong.

Aside from being one of the most important dances of the year, Carlmont’s Winter Formal is also a chance for ASB’s dance commission to get creative and really express themselves.

“Formal takes a lot of thought,” said ASB Dance Commissioner and junior Andrew Wach.  Each dance requires a theme, and that theme will ultimately decide the atmosphere of the dance.

Another aspect of Winter Formal is its rarity. “Winter Formal has to be special. It has to be iconic, and it has to stand out. It has to be something that people will remember for a long time,” Wach said.

Winter Formal, although it may not seem so to some, is much more than just a location with some music in the background.

“We have to contact a photographer, a decorator, reserve a location, publicize tickets, come up with a theme, the list goes on and on,” said ASB Dance Supervisor and junior Jen Anthony.

As the deadline for Winter Formal approaches, the stress for ASB’s dance commission continues to grow: “We need to make sure that everyone is fully committed because we all have to do our part in order to succeed,” Guillermo said.

The ASB dance commission however are eager to create and finish this event because of the end result.

“In the end, it’s all worth it.  The best part about planning these dances is the feeling you get after it’s all over and you feel so accomplished,” Armstrong said.

This year, Carlmont’s Winter Formal is on Jan. 26, and is being held at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City.  The dance is ocean themed, and students are looking forward to a fun and splashy night.