An Inside Look at the Ridgefield High School Junior Prom

For the first time in Ridgefield High School history, this year’s junior prom did not take place at Ridgefield High School. Instead, the event was held at the lavish Matrix Corporate Center, located in Danbury.

As students arrived, they were greeted by an array of aesthetic pleasures. From glitter-covered tables to mirror-lined hallways, the decorations were stunning. In accordance with ‘The Great Gatsby” theme, this well-decorated entrance hall was plastered with a multitude of F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes. In short, the event location, decoration, and execution created a wonderful, opulent atmosphere; the coordinators effectively replicated the high-end lifestyle of the character Mr. Gatsby.

The night kicked off with the tasteful jazz offerings of The Distractions -- a local band that won the Ridgefield High School talent show. Known for their punk-rock style, The Distractions did not disappoint their fans that were in attendance. Following dinner, The Distractions amped up the energy by playing a number of their upbeat originals. Most notably, they recreated the prom scene from the Hollywood-classic ‘Back to The Future,’ with bassist Matt Kirby shouting a few anecdotal sentences about ‘Marty’ – the Back to The Future protagonist – before breaking out into a rendition of Johnny B Goode.

Following The Distractions, Eastern Lights – a DJ group consisting of myself and Hal Hyatt – mixed a large variety of top hits, party favorites, and of course songs off of The Great Gatsby soundtrack. While the necessary house lighting was a deterrent, the music provided and light display ultimately led to hours of lively fist-pumping, improvised dancing, and leisurely-paced slow dancing. Whoever remained weary of the dance floor following the live band surely danced by the end of the night; just about every genre got a bit of playtime, exciting every musical preference.

Highlights include impromptu dancing from teacher Ms. DeJulio, and mouthwatering food – lemon chicken, pasta, salad, cooked potatoes, roast beef, and cake. In addition, those in attendance, for the most part, stayed until around 10:00pm (compared to an exponential drop in attendance after 9pm last year). It was an extravagant success.