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Getting freaky

by Rachel Metz

"Let me do all the things you want me to do. 'Cause tonight, baby, I wanna get freaky with you."

R&B singer Silk definitely had a certain goal in mind with his 1992 ode to romancing, "Freak Me." Unfortunately, when Silk's idea of bedroom fun is played out by fully-dressed teenagers at high school dances, the results can be less than romantic.

Recently, something freaky has been going on at Palo Alto High School dances as some students get a little too close for comfort while freak dancing. Paly Principal Sandra Pearson announced a ban on freaking last week supported by the school's student government. The new policy garnered mixed reactions from students at both Paly and Gunn high schools.

The dancing, which involves at least two people gyrating suggestively, often with arms or legs wrapped around each other, simulates sex to some students and is just friends "acting weird" to others. Most students agreed, however, the dancing is sexually suggestive and points to a heightened casualness about sex and sexuality among teenagers.

"I think that it's really sad that people can't behave in a decent manner --the adults have to come in and put regulations on them," Paly sophomore Gabrielle Ault-Riche said.

Ault-Riche has not attended recent dances -- the last one she went to was the junior-senior prom last spring -- but said from the little freaking she has observed and what she gathers from others it's "pretty disgusting."

"I would say it reflects the attitude that sex is not about love or caring for someone else -- that it's more just about like hormonal impulses and vulgarity," Ault-Riche said.

Ault-Riche agreed with Pearson's contention that freaking scares younger students away from dances..

"I can definitely see how it could be intimidating. Being around older kids would be in and of itself intimidating, but throw in vulgar dancing and it would just become downright scary," Ault-Riche said.

While she is not personally bothered by students engaging in freak dancing, Ault-Riche said she could see how it would bother others and said among her friends dances are unpopular -- possibly in part because of the freaking that occurs. She does not think dance attendance will suffer because of the ban, saying "I think that the crowd that's going to go to them is going to go to them."

Paly freshman John Morag is a fan of freak dancing and said he does feel less students will attend dances because of the ban.

"I think that the dances aren't that popular anyway and now that they stopped freaking people aren't going to come at all," Morag said.

Morag attended two dances this year and said freaking is one of the reasons he goes to such events. He said freaking is an expression of sexuality, but those that are uneasy with the activity should avoid it.

"People want to explore sexuality I guess but it's not porno or anything. If it makes someone feel uncomfortable, just say, 'No,'" Morag said.

"You can't get AIDS from freaking."

Paly student body vice president Aaron Spolin said the student council had been discussing problems with freak dancing for about three months. He said freaking disrupts the flow of dances and the student council stands behind Pearson's decision to ban the dancing.

"Watching people writhe around on the floor, practically having sex, is not a good thing to be exposed to," Spolin said.

Spolin said extreme amounts of freak dancing would be more appropriate in private.

"It sort of breaks sex down -- it just makes it seem like it's more acceptable and can happen anywhere," Spolin said. He said he believes students attitudes toward sex are tending toward the more casual.

Spolin is not concerned students will stop attending Paly dances because of the ban.

"I think a few people might stop going to dances because they want to freak and can't do that, but I think the basic nature of the dances will stay the same and for the most part attendance won't decline too dramatically," he said.

Although Spolin feels dance attendance won't suffer, Paly freshmen Jennifer Tran and Sandra Lee said the dances already offer an unfriendly environment for younger students, in part because of freaking and also because of other sexual activity -- like students making out.

"You want to go to a dance where there are actually people dancing. If you want to freak have a freak party," Tran said.

Tran said she will attend if her friends go, but admitted she has had second thoughts about going to Paly dances. She said students often freak dance only because they think it's popular to do so. Both Tran and Lee don't think freak dancing really encourages sexuality among teenagers, but said the ban may actually inspire more freak dancing as a show of rebellion .

Freak dancing is not banned across town at Gunn High School, and students there had varied opinions on the Paly ban.

Gunn freshman Caitlin Gjerdrum said freaking as an issue is "stupid," and doesn't see why people are interested in it.

"It's not really that big of a deal because freak dancing is disgusting. It's not fun, it's just gross," Gjerdrum said.

Alissa Newman, a sophomore at Gunn, said freaking may be fun for some people and some students might away from dances, but not because of freak dancing or a lack thereof.

"The reason they might not want to go is because they're intimidated and not because of the freaking," Newman said.

E-mail Rachel Metz at rmetz@paweekly.com