Our UBC Dance Club Memories…
With the 50th Anniversary of the UBC Gala Ball coming up next weekend, Joel and I are reminiscent of our earlier UBC days. There is so much history involved between us and the UBC Dance Club that we just can’t help getting sentimental over it all! We had our video interview with Olivia Yung (UBC Dance Club Bookings Rep) the other day, and we had a lot of fun recounting old stories. Here are some of the top 5 highlights…
5. When Joel was UBCDC President and I was Treasurer (back in ’98-’99 – OMG!), we had a record high of over 1400 members! Needless to say, Clubs Days (where we took registration) was quite the event; our laminator kept on konking out on us from overheating! We came up with an extensive ad campaign involving numerous posters in the guys washrooms, an absolutely HUGE poster at the old bus loop and it definitely worked! Granted it was back in the time when the only partner dancing you could possibly do was at the UBC Dance Club, as there were only 2 AMS dance clubs at the time. But hey, heading a club with over 1400 members and working with a 6 figure budget was certainly a big job, and lots of fun too!!!
4. In that year, we took the UBC Gala Ball to the PNE, which everyone fondly refers to as the ‘Barn’. We wanted to try something different; something with an arena-style feel; and that was not as expensive as the previous years’ IDSF competition at the Plaza of Nations. We were going for more of a locally grown feel, with more much more affordable ticket prices and with lots of free merchandise for all. We dressed it up real nice, and everyone had a lot of fun!
Gala Ball '99 at the PNE
3. That same year, our executive started the first annual UBCDC Gala Ball ‘Fun Events’. Many of us on the exec were on the Formation Team that had gone to the Intercollegiate Festival in Florida, and that’s where we got the idea. We had about 5 guys in drag for the events (3 of whom were wearing my old Latin costumes, including Joel!), and one even in Latin high heels! Pretty impressive, eh? A bit disturbing perhaps was the fact that some people didn’t actually realize that he was a guy… eep!
2. Being UBC Dance Club President helped Joel avoid being punished by the law! One morning, while he was driving into Vancouver, Joel was stopped by a police officer. He can’t remember why he was stopped, but for some reason, he did not have his driver’s license with him at the time. Just as Joel was bracing himself for the big ticket and fine that he would inevitably receive, the police officer noticed his UBC Dance Club vest. It was one of the fleece vests that we had given out at the Gala, but the execs had all pitched in for it and wrote his name and title ‘President 98-99’. To make a long story short, the police officer let him go, as she had had fond memories of being a UBC Dance Club member in the past. Phew! Close one!
The original UBCDC Purple Jackets
1. Most important of all… Joel and I met and started dating during our time at the UBC Dance Club. We were both on the UBCDC exec; both on the Formation Team that traveled to Florida; and we were both completely addicted to Ballroom dancing! We loved the club, loved dancing, loved competing and loved to just plain have fun! That really is the epitome of the UBC Dance Club and all of it’s past and present executives.
We are looking forward to going to the 50th Gala this year and celebrating the UBC Dance Club spirit! Long live the Dance Club and its Gala Ball!!! 😀
