What Is a Sadie Hawkins Dance and Where Did It Come From? (2024)

Whether you call it Sadie Hawkins dance, Turnabout, or something different all together, you’ve probably heard of the concept of this particular event before. Basically, the idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance is that the girls ask their desired date to the dance, as opposed to the men (in their conventional gender role) inviting their dates. While in the 1950s this may have been a big deal, now, girls ask their crushes to dances ALL the time and, seriously, it’s NBD. There are no rules to who you can or cannot ask to a dance and the traditional idea of Sadie Hawkins dances are heteronormative and non-inclusive, erasing the fact that nonbinary people do not identify within the male/female binary.

However, the tradition of Sadie Hawkins dances lives on in many high schools nationwide. But if your school doesn’t hold a Sadie Hawkins dance, or you just learned that one is coming up in a couple of months, you may be wondering: who is Sadie and why does she have a dance?! Below, we have all the answers you need about the history and meaning behind Sadie Hawkins dances.

Where did the name “Sadie Hawkins dance“ come from?

Believe it or not, the idea of Sadie Hawkins dances originally came from a comic strip, and, yes, it’s offensive. In an old comic strip called Li’l Abner, which is set in the fictional town of Dogpatch, there was one day every November called Sadie Hawkins Day. It was named after the “homely daughter of Dogpatch’s earliest settler” who “failed to catch a husband” (yes, really). So, Sadie’s dad gathered all the single men of Dogpatch and let the single women chase them, marrying whoever they caught.

This offensive comic strip eventually morphed into a girls’ choice dance where women invite men, instead of feeling like they have to wait to be asked by a guy (which, again, you don’t have to wait for).

How is a Sadie Hawkins dance different than prom?

Depending on your high school, a Sadie Hawkins dance can differ from prom in many ways. While some might be casual, others can be just as formal as prom. You might opt for a short dress rather than a long gown. Sadie Hawkins dances may also occur during a different time in the school year. For instance, if your high school hosts prom in the springtime, then the Sadie Hawkins dance might be held in the fall. The dance may be in your school gym as opposed to an outside venue, which, again, means the dress code may vary. The big difference, however, is the emphasis on girls asking guys. (Ummmm, heteronormative much?)

But what if you don’t conform to the gender binary?

The idea of girls asking guys (or vice versa) is heteronormative, and the whole concept that there are only people who identify as either girls or boys is entirely false and harmful. If you’re nonbinary, make your own rules about who you want to take to the dance and if you want to ask someone or be asked. The student body could also go to the school administration and advocate for an all-inclusive event, so no one feels left out or pressured to ask someone.