Partyers Dress Up, Sweat to the Oldies at WXYC's '80s Dance

Friday found Cat's Cradle jam-packed with pencil-thin ties, raised collars, off-the-shoulder 1987 Duran Duran world-tour T-shirts, hot-pink spandex, crimped hair and hoop earrings. This explosive, frenzied nostalgia has become characteristic of the semiannual dance, an event that has grown more popular with the recent resurgence in popularity of all things '80s.

Had anyone walked into the Cradle unsuspecting, they would have sworn they were in a time warp.

The room was filled with Flashdance-ers and Billy Idol look-alikes, and there was a Pat Benatar in every corner. There was even a group of five WXYC DJs who came dressed as the seminal early '80s goth band Bauhaus. Dressing up, it seems, is just about everyone's favorite part of the '80s Dance -- next to the music, anyway.

Bobbing her head to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," sophomore Brandi Childers said she enjoys dressing up as often as possible. "This was a good chance to do that and express my undying love of the '80s at the same time," she said.

Likewise, sophomore Jonathan Beeker professed that the dance "gives me an outlet for my cross-dressing tendencies."

"I also like to be reminded that the '80s will never die," he added.

Given the increasing number of attendees at the dances the past couple of years, it certainly doesn't look like the '80s will be dying anytime soon.

The WXYC '80s Dance began in 1992 as the Early '80s Dance, evolving from the station's popular '60s and '70s dances. The '80s dances, initially held only once a year, have steadily grown in popularity. "A few years ago, the crowd was mostly made up of people who came of age in the '80s," said WXYC station manager Isaac Trogdon. "But now, within the last year or so, it has become more popular with UNC students as well."

Friday's dance was indeed filled with a broad range of people of all ages. Everyone from UNC students to 20- and 30-somethings could be seen "safety dancing" together. The event even attracted 16-year-old East Chapel Hill High School students Rachel McCook, Brooke Lawrence and Alexandra Schumann.

"We came to dance and have fun," McCook said.

"We love the '80s! They're so much better than the '90s," exclaimed Schumann.

Bill Burton, chairman of the WXYC board of directors and a DJ since 1978, said he believes the broad attraction of the dance is the music itself. "In the '80s, there was a wide consensus of what was considered good, danceable music," he explained. "The songs are recognizable due to the wide influence of MTV and college radio during that time. Everyone knew those songs then, and everyone still knows them now."

The '80s Dance is steeped in tradition, the midnight costume contest being the crowd favorite. This year's winners, UNC graduates Becky Bonchick and Rebecca Mormino, came dressed as the Ghostbusters, complete with proton packs and Florida State graduate Heather Jacobson as a ghoul.

"We planned our costumes for a long time," Jacobson said.

"We didn't expect to win, but the silly string (which Mormino and Bonchick eagerly sprayed into the audience) pulled us through," Bonchick said.

A tradition that was resurrected this year was the breakdancing competition. The contest had been a regularly scheduled event until fall 1998. It made its first appearance in more than two years Friday night.

Freshman Phillip Chang, winner of the competition, said he attended the '80s Dance specifically for the event. "I just got into breakdancing this year," he said. Like all things '80s, Chang said he thinks that breakdancing is making a comeback.

But the most important tradition of all is, of course, the music. All evening long, WXYC DJs delighted in spinning out the decade's biggest hits -- on vinyl, no less. Meanwhile, the crowd danced the night away to everything from the Buggles 1981 hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" to Duran Duran's 1983 opus "Rio" to Aerosmith and Run-DMC's smash 1987 duet "Walk This Way."

"That's what's so special about the '80s Dance," Burton said. "This is one dance where people really dance. They'll be standing there, and they'll hear a song and go, 'Oh!' and put down what they're doing to go dance to Madonna. And it's like that for every song -- people go crazy."

For those who attended the '80s Dance, it was just that -- a chance to kick up their heels and have a great time. Between the over-the-top clothing and big hair, there was a smile on every face. Everyone was "walking on sunshine," having a wonderful time avoiding the responsibilities of daily life and reliving the past.

The dance, which was only held once a year up until 1998, is now held each semester to quench the community's growing demand for '80s nostalgia.

Attendee Maureen Richardson, 27, ran away to be a roadie for the Bangles at 16. "My parents caught me in Arkansas," she said.

For those whose parents wouldn't let them become roadies, or for those who are too young to even remember the '80s, the dance provides an opportunity to recapture the spirit of the decade.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.