Review: Carnival Ball

Following last February’s sell-out ‘Prohibition Ball’, our expectations of Dance Soc’s next event were extremely high. Last year, their evening raised a staggering £2831 for two great charities close to their heart. Carnival Ball, rightly so, had a lot to live up to and definitely met these expectations. Uniquely hosted at the Younger Hall, the night proved that the venue could rival the more traditional location of Kinkell, with its own accessibility and grand surroundings. The theme of the Carnival – chosen for its universality, vibrancy, and colour – ensured that the hall was filled with Venetian masks and sharply dressed individuals.

The dance acts of the evening made and characterised the night. Guests were treated to a truly entertaining series of well-rehearsed and choreographed performances  from some of the university’s finest dance teams. Featuring the likes of The Blue Angels, The Desert Roses, and St Andrews Ballroom and Latin Dance Society, the price of the ticket was definitely justifiable given the impressive variety of acts shown. Not to mention, watching a well-executed performance of the Can-Can easily tops the slightly overused A-cappella performances that we’re all certainly used to seeing at university balls by now.

The music transitioned from a sophisticated yet hip performance by St. Andrew’s Big Band to a set by DJ Ashton Squires. Without exaggerating, and probably partly due to the copious amounts of free punch served upon arrival, he was excellent and undoubtedly a highlight of the night. Having such a well chosen mixture of musical acts evidently worked to the advantage of the organisers, as the guests were consistently entertained and enjoying themselves throughout the evening.

Being in a room populated with some absolutely fantastic dancers – no exaggeration – may naturally sound intimidating if, like me, you have two left feet or haven’t yet taken advantage of the DanceSoc’s various classes. However, this wasn’t the case, at all, and frequently provided some amazing dance-offs and break-dance solos, which you usually wouldn’t see at your typical social event (at least not without embarrassment and/or far too much alcohol)

Steph Uhlmann, DanceSoc’s Publicity & Merchandise representative, explained to me that the society is determined to up the standard of the ball each year while keeping consistent with its charitable causes, and for this reason 25% of the profits of Carnival Ball will be donated to the charity Children in Hope. Once again, Carnival Ball proves that the society is certainly no stranger to putting on a great show for a very worthwhile cause.

Images courtesy of Ruth Moulson