Prom, as it is referred to these days, looks more like a White House affair or a gala on the French Riviera than a high school dance.

Set against the backdrop of the moonlit San Diego Bay, the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina was the site for this year's Carlsbad High School prom. Stretch limousines pulled up to the curb and rhinestone-studded slippers stepped out. Decked out in glamour and dripping in bling, matching pairs of men and women proceeded to the door of the grand ballroom.

"It's kind of a fashion show, a parade," said Maggie Stanchi, attending her first Carlsbad High prom as principal. She and a handful of other teachers and chaperones formed a receiving line near the entrance where students were checked in and identification verified. Each was handed a Mardi Gras mask -- this year's theme was "Masquerade."

Once inside the grand ballroom, spectators were treated to the sight of a huge arch of balloons over the dance floor and tables of 10 placed around it, enough to seat the expected 1,000 teens. Casino game tables were set around the edge of the room, as were tables of sodas at the back, a smoothie bar, fruit and cheese and desserts, but no dinner. That's usually beforehand, when couples take the limo to a fast-food restaurant for burgers or pizza.

Light designs flashed on the ballroom walls to the steady thump of house music provided by a few deejays at work behind the dance floor. On a screen beside the deejays, video streams of dancers on the floor were projected, as well as text messages the teens sent from their cell phones requesting songs or notes to each other.

And in another corner of the ballroom, two men photographed couples, arranging them with an arm here, a tilt of the head just so. Back to the tripod and the memory was captured forever.

Stylish show

This prom season, dresses ranged from antebellum-style full length hooped skirts draped with pearls to plain sheath dresses worn with flats, a la Audrey Hepburn. And there was almost everything in between. Halter dresses in hot pinks and orange satins were de rigueur. So were the full length pastel tulle dresses with dainty embroidery on the bodice, and of course, the basic black chiffon to the ground -- or strapless cocktail dresses. There were a couple of tiaras and what looked like white wedding dresses.

Most of the young men sported classic black tuxedos, though there were a few full white ones. One or two hip men wore a punk style or Nehru jacket and tight -- very tight -- trousers.

It was very clear that proms in 2007 are not an inexpensive proposition, for it is not unusual for families to fork out a couple of hundred dollars for the perfect gown or ensemble. Then there is the boutonniere and/or corsage, the shoes, and for the girls, a time-consuming hair appointment, manicure and pedicure, the date with the tanning salon, and also quite often, the waxing and facial appointment too.

That's even before the limousine or party bus is rented and the photo package purchased. These days, the actual ticket may be the least expensive part of the evening, a bargain at $100 a couple or $80 with an Associated Student Body or ASB sticker.

Some things the same

At times, this prom could have been any from a bygone era. Girls still squeal when they meet each other in the ballroom, reaching out to hug and air-kiss each other. "I love your dress!" they exclaimed, or "You look gorgeous!" before quickly surveying the immediate vicinity for another familiar face.

Boys still stand awkwardly near the soda table, many chewing gum or playing with their sunglasses. Most men's hair is cut short with only a few exceptions, most notably a man in white who sported cornrows past his waist, a couple of cross designs etched near his scalp.

Different groups mingled at tables. And even without a label, some look like the cheerleaders and the football players. The surfers. The thespians. The computer geeks. The art students. The beauty queens and the bad girls. The scenesters and preps. The hippies and the stoners. Lookalikes of Pamela Anderson, Gwen Stefani, the Rock, and even Cab Calloway appeared, too.

There were tipoffs that times have changed, though. Nearly all the kids had their cell phones out at one time or the other, calling or texting each other.

"It's changed over the years, hasn't it?" asked T.R. Robertson, a social science teacher who has been in charge of ASB and the student yearbook for decades at Carlsbad High School. He was shooting video and mingling with students. "The video screen and the text messages … and especially the dancing."

Except the dancing

Ah, the dancing. By 9 o'clock, the dance floor was practically full and by 10, it was throbbing with sexual energy. This is not their mothers' Bump or their older sister's Macarena. It's called freak dancing or perreo in Latin circles. And in the center of the dance floor, dozens locked together, girls backed up into their guys, in a "freak train." This style of dancing is so sexually suggestive, in fact, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and other parental organizations are considering how to legally and effectively ban it across the country.

But the chaperones and administrators didn't seem too worried about it here. A modern-day version of the bump and grind, some of the moves would definitely shock the uninitiated or the over-40 set. Could this be the same as when the older generation first saw the Charleston, or viewed Elvis Presley's moves below the waist? Perhaps.

Only one door remained open between the lobby and the ballroom, and a pool of polite congestion collected there as some waited to return to the lobby or find the restrooms and a large party bus full of upperclassmen arrived late.

Simone Nerbonne, a petite senior in a short hot pink satin dress and rhinestone sandals, waited outside the bathroom with a couple of her girlfriends: Devon Seal, in a peach halter dress, and Caitlin Cross, in a strapless sapphire blue satin. Cross' expertly French-pedicured toes peeked out from the edge of her dress. Very few of these young women wore their shoes once they arrived -- they carried them around in one hand or left them on a table beside their purses.

"This is the first dress I tried on," said Cross of her stunning blue gown. "I don't really like it, but it's OK, I guess." Her long brown hair was pulled up off her neck in a loose chignon, and her earrings were gently curving silver drops. Both Cross and Nerbonne said their dresses cost about $160.

"It's fun," said Nerbonne about this year's prom, "but it sure is a lot of work." The other girls agreed. Was getting dressed up that difficult?

"No. It's the hair and makeup. That took five hours to get it all done," Nerbonne said. Like many of the other girls, she had had her hair done by a professional stylist, a few strands pulled up on the top of her head, the rest of her blond hair falling past her shoulders in relaxed ringlets.

No comparison

This group chatted for a time about last year's prom, which was held at the Aerospace Museum. They quickly decided it was better than this year's location. "It was really cool. They had virgin margaritas, and there were planes hanging overhead, so the atmosphere was awesome," said Cross.

Nerbonne agreed. This year's smoothie bar couldn't compare.

Robertson had pointed out earlier that the choice of venues for such a large event as theirs is not very extensive. "Not too many places can host 1,000 people," he said. "We're too big for the Hotel Del now. That leaves the Hyatt in Mission Bay, SeaWorld and Camp Pendleton -- but we've had it there lots of times, so we needed someplace new."

Encinitas' San Dieguito Academy and Carlsbad's La Costa Canyon had their prom at SeaWorld this year. Vista's Rancho Buena Vista and Poway had theirs at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. Mt. Carmel's was at the Marriott Mission Valley; Westview was at the Aerospace Museum, Rancho Bernardo at the Naval Training Center Promenade, Torrey Pines at the Loews' Coronado and Oceanside at the San Diego Zoo.

At midnight, the social event of the season had come and gone. Photos of everyone at their glamorous best will be posted on Myspace accounts, no doubt flooding the Internet. Expensive gowns will be dropped off at the dry cleaners, and rented tuxedos returned. And all of the hubbub, all that prom hullabaloo, will be over for another year.

Or until the next big event -- graduation ceremony and the grad night to follow.

Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 740-3527 or rwebster@nctimes.com.