As I entered the English Course Union’s (ECU) Fairytale Fantasy ball on March 25, it became instantly clear that I had walked into another world entirely. A world of knights, kingdoms, magical creatures, and forests of infinite proportions, all contained in the UNC ballroom.
I arrived shortly after the event started at 6pm, hoping to catch the event in full swing. I was not disappointed. People dressed in draped gowns, dawning elf ears, flower hats, lovely shoes, and handcrafted props of every kind of variety all danced in the centre of the ballroom. The ballroom itself was dressed exactly for the occasion, even with the entrance noting its theme. It was plain to see that everyone in that room was having the time of their lives, and had been plotting their outfit for such a night for a while. The dancing was joyous and free — even the DJ danced.
An announcer dressed just as well as the others came up to the podium at the front to begin an unexpected presentation. They spoke in a theatrical tone, beginning a story that spanned the next 30 minutes.
The story began with the kidnapping of a princess, and a desperate cry for help to the sailors to return her. The captive audience, all now seated on folding chairs — though they could barely hold such a large attendance — booed and cheered along the whole time. The story was not only orated but also acted out, as we were all soon to see.
After the speaker declared that war in the kingdom had broken out, we looked ahead to find two sword fighters were battling on the balcony outside the ballroom. A dramatic clash was had between the warring factions, entertaining us all. The drama built as both fighters revealed double swords and all came to a climax as they both plunged their swords through each other — in a non-lethal acting way, though it was just as satisfying.
Different speakers came to the podium to warn the audience in the same mythical tone that pirates were about, and the sailors were nowhere to be found. Pirates appeared with the princess in hand, met with thundering boos. The two pirates left behind the princess and then began a dance together, and of all the things they could have started doing, I will say that ballroom dancing was not on my list. That said, the dancing was very well done and quite a treat to witness as the pirates gracefully swung each other around the ballroom.
Their fun was not to last however, as when the final speaker got up to remark in fear on the pirates, there was a sudden appearance of the sailors. The sailors fought off the pirates quickly with some more sword fighting and then, taking the princess by hand, one of the sailors began dancing triumphantly. Another ballroom dance followed, the princess freed. The dancers performed wonderfully and skillfully. It was such a beautiful conclusion to witness.
With the princess having been saved, the audience erupted in cheer and was quickly directed back to the dance floor for line dancing. Though the audience was not as rehearsed as the dancers, all attempted and found joy in their shared dance. It really felt like the end of a movie.
The dancing continued on all through the evening, as guests enjoyed the food and company of others. Nights like these, where you can leave behind your studies, tasks, and responsibilities and just have fun are so important. Everybody needs to get a way for a while, slip into a fantasy world of their own, dress up, dance, eat, and be merry. The world can be so far removed from these vibrant excitements. The ECU has provided a great space for students to be able to indulge and take a load off to dance and be with their friends. Thank you to the ECU for their wonderful event and thank you to Maziar Matin Panah for telling me about this event and for his excellent performance.
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