Thirteen-year-olds, sweaty and high on Shirley temples, girls in poofy dresses, five-foot-four boys drowning in draping suits, and adults who indulged in one too many glasses of Manischewitz all herd together dancing to 1997’s hit beat “September” by Earth Wind & Fire. The lights dim, the music slows, and the 16 students of Anshe Emet Day School’s seventh-grade class gather in a circle and prepare for the night’s snowball. The bar mitzvah man of the night, Ari Samo, stands center stage as he chooses Dani Steele for his first-ever slow dance.
Five years later, Ari and Dani pose side-by-side, beaming in front of their teary parents, marking another dancing milestone: Latin’s 2002 Prom.
Twelve years after Prom, Ari and Dani find their way back to one another, this time clutching each other’s hands, culminating in the most momentous formal occasion of their young lives. They nestle below the chuppah and exchange vows, entering their journey together.
Throughout their childhood at Anshe Emet, Ari and Dani’s friendship never faltered. In seventh grade, however, they became “more than friends,” although the relationship was short-lived. After just two weeks, Ari and Dani quickly determined their purely platonic fate for the remainder of middle school.
These newfound relationship guidelines proved especially useful throughout their transition to high school at Latin. They maintained their close friendship as their world expanded. “The 10 of us from Bernard Zell who went to Latin were a pretty tight-knit group coming in, especially because we were sheltered,” Dani said.
At Latin, Ari—the star soccer and volleyball athlete—focused on his studies as much as sports, earning high honor rolls. Dani described her own high school years as more scattered. “For me, it took a little bit to discover my values, and during my years at Latin, I prioritized my friendships over my academic career,” Dani said. “Ari was the polar opposite. He was the quintessential student. Despite our differences, we were best friends the entire time at Latin.”

While Dani and Ari’s friendship blossomed, Dani developed a close relationship with Ari’s mother while working at her store throughout her years at Latin. “His mom used to own a glove store in the 900 [North] building in Bloomingdale’s called Glove Me Tender,” Dani said. “Now, Ari’s mom and I maintain a very close relationship similar to when I was younger. I would always joke with her about eventually ‘marrying into your family.’” Little did she know that wish would eventually come true.
After high school, Ari and Dani stayed good friends. They found comfort in their similar journeys of transitioning from Latin to large state schools. At the University of Kansas, Dani would visit Ari at the University of Illinois. They kept in touch through Facebook, saw each other during breaks, and studied abroad in Barcelona simultaneously. After college, when they both moved back to Chicago, Ari had an epiphany that changed his perspective on their relationship.
“Dani was always someone I could count on. She was smart, funny, and just easy to be around,” Ari said. “I started realizing how much I respected her and how much I liked having her in my life. So, one day, it just clicked: Maybe we’d be good together.”
With this newfound outlook, Ari took a couple of deep breaths before courageously asking her out. “I do remember being nervous—not that I’d admit it at the time,” he said. “We were hanging out at my house. … I just figured, ‘Why not ask? The worst she can say is no.’ Turns out, she didn’t say no, so I guess I did something right.”
For their first date, he took Dani to Chinatown to one of their favorite dim sum restaurants—although this time the typical dumpling experience felt a bit different.
Admittedly, the initial shift from friendship to romance was difficult. “It was a weird transition to start dating and not to see him as a friend,” Dani said. “However, the tables turned, and I became the one wanting to progress the relationship.”
Their dating period wasn’t entirely seamless. “We broke up twice during [the dating] period, partially because of his trepidations to propose,” Dani said. “I think some of it was because I was his first and only serious girlfriend, and he was nervous not to have experienced other people.”

Eventually, Ari conquered his fears and popped the question. “I didn’t want to overcomplicate it. I knew I wanted to spend my life with her, so I just had to figure out the right moment.”
He found the perfect moment in October of 2014 and decorated their apartment with an assortment of notes for a scavenger hunt that ultimately led to the final destination: engagement.
Soon after, the warm August air enveloped the happy couple at Cafe Brauer as they danced together once again, this time to the tune of “Wagon Wheel,” celebrating the beginning of their marriage.
Ari now works as a partner in a medical-legal consulting firm, and Dani drifted back to her home base, Bernard Zell, where she works as a beloved eighth-grade reading and history teacher. Many of Dani’s former students also attend Latin and often visit her to tell Dani about their high school struggles, accomplishments, and aspirations.
“Ms. Steele was always the teacher I felt I could talk to about anything,” sophomore Sadie Cohen, a former student of Dani’s, said. “She made Bernard Zell so comfortable for me and is still an influence for me today.”
Alongside their careers, their main priority rests on raising their two sons, Benjamin and Jonah. “I’m looking forward to seeing the kids grow into whoever they’re going to be,” Ari said. “It’ll be fun watching them figure things out. As for Dani and me, I think we’ve got a good thing going, and I’m not worried about the future. We’ll handle whatever comes our way.”