“The Yule Ball is such a Vassar thing. Opportunities to dress up with your friends and dance together typically go away after high school, but not here. It is a nice change of pace from every other weekend,” said Chloe Sindaco ’27. This quote perfectly encapsulates this festive annual tradition that has swept students into a swing dancing fervor. Couples and friends alike were spotted embracing the jazz theme through their style as they pulled together dazzling looks from the depths of their dorm closets. The attendees swayed to the smooth soothings of a live jazz band breaking out into lively 20th century dances as the band’s tempo picked up. Skeptical students had little time for uncertainty, as swing dancing waits for no one.
Presented by Vassar’s Quadball team, the Butterbeer Broooers, and Vassar Social Dance, the ball ran from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. The first 30 minutes were dedicated to a swing dance lesson, where students unfamiliar with the style were quickly brought up to speed. After some initial nervous laughter and stumbling, most attendees found their footing by 9 p.m. In response to the eclectic dancing, Luca Michael Pereira-Frears ’27 stated, “I’ll be the first to say I’m not a big Charleston guy. Tonight has been a bit of a struggle. But honestly, after 45 minutes or so, I got, like, really into it.” This event pushed many students out of their comfort zones, but by around 11 p.m., it was impossible to tell. Huge smiles were visible through the darkness of the dance floor.
The Aula was beautifully decorated with the holiday spirit in mind. Upon entering the room, students were whisked into a winter wonderland. The ceilings were strewn with paper snowflakes and the walls were lit up with string lights. And what is a ball without music? The ambiance was perfectly matched by the live jazz band. They played for hours and were even accompanied by singers throughout the night. Some of the brass section even sported tasteful Santa hats. One double bass player put a hat on the top of his instrument. There was a wall dedicated to taking photos with friends, with a backdrop filled with snowflakes and blue string lights. While much of this ball was built on contributions by the Vassar community, it is important to mention the series that this night drew some inspiration from.
The Yule Ball comes from the Harry Potter series, a formal dance held on Dec. 25 for students of three wizarding schools during the “Triwizard Tournament,” often referred to as one of the highlights of the fictional characters’ time at school. This sentiment rang true at Vassar as well. In the source material, the Yule Ball is a night of romance and fun. The Harry Potter element of this night seemed to take a backseat to the dance itself: “Oh, this is a Harry Potter thing?” asked Julian Joaquin Vasquez ’27. “I genuinely had no idea. I thought it was just, like… Vassar prom.” The Yule Ball definitely could be considered Vassar’s “prom.” Love was in the air, and many hard launches were witnessed on the dance floor. Nothing says sexy like Harry Potter.
The ball wrapped up at midnight, despite many murmurs from attendees wishing they could dance for just a little longer. Overall, the Yule Ball was a perfect finale to the first semester of the academic year and a chance for students to get some much needed time away from the stress of finals.