Can I have this dance? Château is back for the third time with their one-of-a-kind ballroom cosplay event. This time, more grand than ever. It has been a month or so from our last dance at Ballare. But one cannot simply just forget the experience of a ballroom dancing
With such a peculiar concept, the experience definitely gave the attendees a night to remember. Couldn’t make it and yet curious on how it went? Well, dance, I mean, read on!
The Experience
Waltzing on the floor
The night wasn’t meant for just couples, it was also for friends who were just there to have a great time. It didn’t matter if their partner was a male or female, they just enjoyed trying out dancing in styles they don’t get to try normally. You could see groups of people dancing randomly, some even forgoing the couple waltzing to dance in groups of 4 or more.
Before the final dance hit, the hall even started its own creative group dance of joining hands in a circle before rushing into the center of the circle at the count of 3. We may or may not have gotten a warning look from the organizing committee but everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives – even Asta and Mien, the Singaporean guest hosts!
I do have to salute to the female attendees who wore heels and danced throughout the night. I wore flats and yet found my foot aching by the last dance.
Mini Games
Dancing alone isn’t fun. But dancing with mini challenges is what made the night worthwhile. It gave the attendees a chance to break the ice and settle down into the environment. The best mini challenge was the one where the attendees on the dance floor had to freeze and pose at the same time. The most creative ones would receive mini gifts – as long as they remained frozen of course. One of my favourites was definitely the Disney couple from Aladdin. They showed us a whole new world.
Helping Hand
The hosts were helpful as well in teaching us how to do the basic Waltz box step. There were a few attendees who have never waltzed before in their life but mastered it by the end of the night. The dedication of some hosts to teach the attendees despite it being the dining time was admirable in my eyes. They really tried their best to make us feel at home.
Dress to Impress
What amused me that night was the attendees choice of attire. There were some really outstanding and creative ones that caught the attention of many, even the organizers. One of the attendees even went the distance to don an actual ballroom dress for the night!
In the end, two lovely ladies and a kind gentleman got the chance to go on stage to receive their token of appreciation for the Best Dress Award.
The Buffet
The food for the night was a buffet style spread separated into the Halal section for Muslim attendees and the non-halal section for the rest. From the general reception of the attendees that night, the food provided was quite satisfactory – both Halal and non-halal alike. It wasn’t anything extraordinary but worth the price paid.
Considerations for the future
However, one of the main concerns I had with the event was the lack of pre-event directions given. The only info relayed was that the event was to be held on the 6th floor. So imagine the confusion when the doors from the elevator/stairs opened to a lobby filled with normal people in normal formal wear with not a single cosplay in sight.
The hall for Ballare was located at the very end of the hallway and it was quite secluded from the lobby view. Since there were two other events happening simultaneously, it was even harder to spot the event place. Additionally, there wasn’t any clear signs or any obvious usherettes stationed at that lobby to show us the way.
In the end, a staff ushered us to the hallway. The feeling of being lost while being stared at by tons of uncles and aunties was not something I expected for the night.
Final Thoughts
Nonetheless, I enjoyed my night at Ballare. I managed to reconnect with my cosplay friends and bonded with them during the event. It also gave me a chance to actually try out ballroom dancing for once in my lifetime.
At the end of the day, the effort of the organizers came into fruition from all the smiles and laughter I observed throughout the night. And with that, Ballare 2019 came to an end with a bang – quite literally!
