The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • Owen Hlubek creates valentine shapes with his grandfather, who drove from Iowa to attend the Sweetheart Dance at Mankato East High School. Wright Braudt

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  • Jocelyn Brown and her father, Jerome, get their groove on during the dance.

    Valdance 2 021310.jpg

  • Nichole Dauk watches Destiny Friedrichs color Saturday at the Sweetheart Dance at Mankato East High School. The emphasis of the dance was family and children rather than the more commercial romance theme.

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February 13, 2010

Sweetheart Dance puts focus on family

Event tries to get children involved in Valentine's activities

By Robb Murray Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — No one drove further to get to the Sweetheart Dance than Ruth Hlubek.

Hlubek and her husband came all the way from DeWitt, Iowa, for a weekend with their son, Andrew, and his wife and kids. A Mardis Gras event is on the agenda, as well, but first up: the Sweetheart Dance at Mankato East High School, courtesy of Mankato Community Education.

“It’s great!” said Hlubek, who earlier in the morning could be seen on the East gymnasium floor dancing the familiar moves of the Village People’s “YMCA” song. “I’ll bet the kids were wondering, ‘What planet is she from?’”

The idea behind the Sweetheart Dance is this: In a cultural climate where sex has become a staple topic of prime-time television programs and commercials, and where the holiday has typically been geared toward adults, this is an event where the focus can be, at least for a few hours, on family.

Melanie Schmidt of Community Education said many communities are now doing a similar events. Some have a “daddy/daughter” theme, Schmidt said, but she wanted Mankato’s version to be on families.

So they advertised it in the schools and in the Community Education calendar of events and, for their second year doing it, they had a pretty good turnout. Last year the event was held at the Lincoln Community Center. This year they wanted a bigger space to hold the 200-300 expected to attend, so they moved it to East.

Kids and parents were able to create Valentine cards for each other, color pictures, play with play dough, get faces painted or dance in the gym.

Jenn Huettl said she thought the event was a great idea.

“I tell my kids I love them every day,” she said, watching her daughters Claire, 2, and Ella, 4, run and tumble across the dance floor. “I think it’s important that they have the chance to share this with other kids.”

Nathan Manthe of Mankato said the event’s price — $3 in advance or $5 at the door — was right.

“It was just something we could get out and do cheap,” he said.

In the Manthe house, Valentine’s Day is all about the kids. Sure, he and his wife likely will curl up with a movie when the kids go to bed, but nearly all of what they’ll do for this holiday will revolve around Ayla, 18 months, and Luka, 3.

“We like to incorporate the family versus the societal norm,” he said. “We came last year,” he said. “It was a good time and you get to do things you don’t normally get to do.”

Added Hlubek, “I sense a lot of enthusiasm here. This was a very nice thing to do for these children.”

 

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