A large white gate lined with white lights denotes the entrance of the dance. Walking under the gate, masses of students cluster together in cliques while the beat of the music throbs around them. Gold decorations line the room, keeping with the overall elegant theme of the dance. Welcome to Versailles.
On Feb. 18, Hockaday held its annual Winter Formal Dance and Versailles was the theme. In order to embody this famous French château, the venue was decorated with gold decorations and handmade chandeliers, having an overall elegant feel to it.
Upon first entering F.I.G. Downtown, this year’s venue for the dance, students were directed past the purse and coat check and up a flight of stairs where the dance was held.
To enter the party, students passed under an elaborately decorated gateway that resembled that of the gold gates outside of Versailles. Along one of the walls of the entrance read an elaborate gold sign which said “A Night at Versailles”, offering a warm welcome to the dance.
The venue was a large, open room with a designated area towards the back as the dance floor and for the Freshman dinner.
Freshman Callie Barrow rode the Freshman bus to Winter Formal.
Along a side wall of the venue were smaller, separate rooms, each containing different activities that attendees could participate in. A photo booth was in the first room, and in the second, a caricature artist along with a fortune teller who read lipstick marks. The third room held poker tables along with a few couches, offering a nice break from the tiring dancing. Finally, the classic senior lounge, known was the “Senior Salon” to follow the Versailles theme, occupied the last room of the venue.
Senior Cameron Giles saw this dance as the perfect last Winter Formal.
“I have enjoyed all of my Hockaday dances, but this one was my favorite because there is less pressure surrounding dresses and dates and more emphasis on making the most of the night,” Giles said.
In order to follow the Versailles theme, a section of the room had a table that held small desserts. A sign above these sweets read “Let Them Eat Cake”, the famous words spoken by Marie Antoinette. In addition to this, gold, cardboard chandeliers hung from the ceiling, capturing the elegant essence of the Palace of Versailles.
Winter Formal Chair Lily Johnson believes the night was an overall success.
“All the compliments I got from everyone really made my night,” Johnson said. “It was amazing to see everyone enjoying it after all the hard work was put into the dance.”
It was a night to remember. The dance had a very classy feel to it. It was evident that those in charge of planning it had put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to accurately capture the elegance of the Versailles theme while at the same time hosting a party that people would enjoy.
– Charlotte Dross – Staff Writer –
