‘Rock the Prom’ event helps Rock Hill girls find inner beauty

Any parent who has had a child in high school knows that springtime is prom time, which means a big dance, a big dress and a big price tag.

A 2014 Visa survey found the average American household spends almost $1,000 on prom.

Crystal Burns with the group Just Be Academy said their inaugural “Rock the Prom” event, held Saturday at the Center for the Arts in Rock Hill, was designed to relieve some of the prom cost and get girls excited and confident about the big dance.

“We believe it’s important for all young ladies to have high self esteem and not be influenced by societal pressure,” Burns said.

Rock the Prom was filled with positivity, as a team of volunteers provided tips and tricks on fashion, make-up and hair, as well as a big dose of confidence-boosting.

“We’re teaching them they need to look from within for their beauty,” Burns said.

In addition to all things beautiful there were also lessons on safety on prom night.

Some think after prom is a time for partying and risk-taking, but it doesn’t have to be that way, said Teontra Adams, an event volunteer who works with Sistah 2 Sistah of South Carolina, a non-profit group that celebrates, embracse and empowers girls and women.

There’s a lot of peer pressure around prom, she said.

Rock the Prom attendee and South Pointe High School senior Johntavia Baxter, 17, said a lot of that peer pressure is focused around sex. Guys, especially, expect sex on prom night, she said.

At Rock the Prom, Baxter said she was hoping the speakers and volunteers would help girls develop strategies to resist that peer pressure.

Baxter and her friend, South Pointe senior Alexis Boozer-Dowling, went to the prom last year, but said they will do things differently this year.

“I’m looking for different tips on how to choose your prom dress,” Boozer-Dowling said.

For that, there were lots of visual aids. Volunteer donated around 250 new or gently used prom dresses in all sizes and styles, Burns said.

Each girl who attended Rock the Prom got to shop for a dress and got one for free.

Attending prom “is every little girl’s dream,” said Adams of Sistah 2 Sistah of South Carolina. “But financially it can be a lot.”

By removing the cost of the dress,girls can get more excited about prom, she said.

All the attendees also got bags with make-up and the chance to win door prizes including shoes, make-up, jewelry, and salon services. One girl, the winner of an essay contest, also won a full prom experience, from her hair and make-up to her date’s tux, Burns said.

This story was originally published March 22, 2015 at 8:02 AM with the headline "‘Rock the Prom’ event helps Rock Hill girls find inner beauty."