by Daniel Chu ’25
As Bellarmine’s annual Winter Ball approaches on December 2, students can expect a night full of engaging activities enjoyable for everyone. The dance promises an opportunity for students to destress and have fun with peers, complemented by the dance’s unique ‘80s theme.
According to Ms. Lance, the organizer of the dance, activities to look forward to include: a french fry bar, including different types and different sauces; a movie lounge in the SLC; Christmas lights hung across the venue; dancing, a DJ, cool lighting, old-school decor, and more. This year, the theme will highlight the ‘80s era, replete with ‘80s music and an old-school gym dance inspiration. Ms. Lance admitted in an interview that she was inspired by the filming of Stranger Things starting again, and thought it would be fun to replicate that style for the dance; hence, the french fries, which she described as an “old school but well-loved food.”
However, the dance is obviously more than just an opportunity for Ms. Lance to bring the ‘80s back. She explained that her main goal for the dance was simply for students of all grades to have “a good time with friends in an accessible way for them … If they like dancing, they’re dancing. If they like watching movies, they’re watching movies.”
Of course, planning an incredibly popular event took a lot of work behind the scenes. In addition to Ms. Lance, Ms. Thomson from Bellarmine’s department of Events Services and the Bellarmine Mother’s Guild contributed to decor and the planning of the event. Ms. Lance would also love to make the dances more “kid-centered” in the future by reaching out to student groups interested in helping with the event. The main challenges of planning the dance revolved around making the dance enjoyable for all students; Ms. Lance’s survey for ideas for the dance received only 75 respondents compared to 1100 students attending the dance, so she focused on “trying to make sure there’s other things so that [the dance] appeals to all of our students.” In the future, however, she hopes to figure out a better way to include more student input.
Ms. Lance added that she’s excited for the french fry bar during the dance, and wanted the dance to be fun, unique, and exciting. Based on her experience planning this dance, in the future, she hopes to find new ways to engage students in the concepts and themes of upcoming dances, including the music, decorations, and even whether dances should be date dances or not.