Prom for all at WACO

WAYLAND — WACO schools made prom a community event by accompanying the tradition prom elements with a preschool prom Thursday and a community hypnotist show Saturday after Grand March.

Thursday evening, WACO Elementary invited preschool families to their first ever Preschool Prom.

At the event, Officer Eddie Cardenas gave a brief presentation on summer safety.

Much like WACO’s senior high prom counterpart, the preschool prom also consisted of beautifully dressed students, photos, music, and dancing.

Through the diligent work of preschool staff and local volunteer Joanie Leichty and Brooke Carter, preschoolers and their families enjoyed light refreshments, photo booths, and even some preschool-friendly activities, Thursday evening.

“WACO's Preschool is funded through Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for 4-year-olds,” Preschool teacher Michelle Fedler said. “Per their criteria, our Preschool must involve families in at least one family night per year. This year we chose to host a Preschool Prom! It's WACO's belief that family participation is vital to their child’s preschool success.”

The WACO community gathered again Saturday evening to watch the high school students strut their stuff down a red carpet for the 2023 Junior/Senior prom.

Under an arch of giant playing cards students took turns striking poses as family, friends, and neighbors cheered them on and took photos.

Following Grand March, the students made their way to Sperry for their turn at dancing the night away.

“I really enjoyed prom and dancing, but the hypnotist was fun, too,” WACO student Rylee Rice said.

Before the high school students returned to their school for after prom, though, junior and senior parents set to work to rearrange the gym for a special hypnotist show specifically for the community.

The show, brought to the community by the After Prom Committee, advertised itself as “a family friendly event for anyone ages ‘8-80’!!”

The Saturday evening audience encompassed the whole expanse of that age range.

With volunteers ranging from 13 years old to fully-established adults, Hypnotist Justin James, entertained WACO families and friends with his abilities.

“Most people are suggestible,” he told the audience as some held firmly that they could not become hypnotized.

“Place your feet flat on the floor in front of you,” he instructed the audience. “Put your hands flat on your lap.”

He told audience members to close their eyes and walked them through a series of simple instructions before informing them that they could no longer open their eyes.

“Anyone can be hypnotized,” he said.

This apparently included an audience member that did not originally volunteer.

As James hypnotized a large group on stage, one young woman in the bleachers hung on his every word.

When he confidently told his group of volunteers to sleep, this woman’s whole body folded in half and she went limp.

Another audience member, who had never met the girls before, positioned herself next to her, to ensure she wouldn’t tumble down the bleachers.

Under James’ instruction, the two became acquainted when the hypnotized woman leaned back into the lap of the other for safety.

The evening continued with silly antics under James’ instruction.

Volunteers forgot their names one moment and remembered them the next between resting their limp bodies on the shoulders of the strangers next to them.

One young man galloped around on an imaginary horse as the rest of his hypnotized group earnestly played violins and drums for an imaginary orchestra.

Following the evening of laughter, the community audience relinquished their place in the school gymnasium as James prepared to provide similar entertainment for the high school students that would return for after prom festivities.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com