SAB Traditions – Halloween Classes in Costume

When you’ve had over 90 years of history as an institution, you’re bound to have accumulated a tradition or two that gets passed on year after year. One such tradition at SAB is allowing our students to take their classes on Halloween in costume. It’s a tradition that students, faculty members, staff, and supporters all look forward to each October. And it’s not hard to guess why.

We spoke to a few of our C1 level dancers about the significance of the holiday at the School and why they think it has such a lasting impact for our community. Several have been training at the School since they were small children and they’ve had several years experiencing SAB’s special spin on Halloween, but for one student, this will be her first year spending this spooky holiday at the School. Read on to see what they had to say…

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“I think what makes SAB’s Halloween festivities stand out, is just how we take it really far and are so free and creative with our costumes,” student Ayla explained. She’s been training in SAB’s Winter Term since 2022 and has come to past Halloween classes in some truly incredible costumes herself, including a rather convincing Nosferatu just last year.

“The teachers dressing up is really fun too,” her classmate Vera adds. This year will be her tenth Halloween as an SAB student, having started her training here in the Preparatory Division. “When Ms. Mann came as a Pot-de-Bouree, that was really cool. Or Ms. Anderson as Cruella de Vil, complete with bringing her dogs to class – it shows how this is something they enjoyed as students and are still able to participate in now that they are faculty. It connects everyone at the School and I think that’s really special.”

“Yeah, and a lot of people do group costumes,” Ayla continued. “So it’s nice to see the community doing these kinds of fun things together, other than just dancing. Even the pianists get into the spirit!”

While the scale and creativity of an SAB Halloween is something Ayla and Vera know well, this is their classmate Sage’s first Winter Term and her first experience of the School’s Halloween festivities is just two weeks away. She had seen pictures of previous Halloweens on the School’s Instagram and came into the year knowing it was going to be a big deal.

“I’m super excited about being able to take part in it this year,” Sage shared. “I think you can really get a sense of what’s happening and how much fun everyone is having through the pictures, but I’m eager to take part myself. At my old school, dressing up the week of Halloween was optional, but not a lot of people did it. The teachers wouldn’t participate, and it felt a little more last minute. The kind of commitment to going all out that you see at SAB, just wasn’t a thing.”

Gabriella, who has been a student at the School since beginning in Girls I back in 2018, summed up this level of commitment as stemming from a sense of school spirit. “There’s a real sense of this being a fun tradition for the School, and I always feel proud getting to be a part of that. It’s taking part in a fun aspect of training here that isn’t the first thing you’d think when you imagine going to SAB, but we are all really in it together.”

“Everyone is so focused in class, and we work so hard every day, then we go all out in the completely opposite direction on Halloween,” Ayla went on to explain.

“It’s our way to celebrate with our friends,” Vera added. “It’s not the same as going out, but it feels even more exciting – dressing up with your friends, having fun, and dancing at the same time.”

Sage closed out our conversation with what just may be the root of why Halloween is such a big deal for everyone in our community: “I feel like there’s so much commitment in every area of what we do here. Halloween is no different. You’re obviously going to commit!”
 

Be sure to keep an eye on SAB’s Instagram feed on Halloween to see all the fun and frightful festivities again this year, as we share snapshots of our costumed classes throughout the day!