This Saturday, Feb. 14, marks a first in the history of Dartmouth's Winter Carnival. As a change-of-pace from other weekend festivities, this year the Programming Board begins a new Carnival tradition with a Winter Swing Ball.
The tradition of a Winter Carnival formal was born less than a year after the first Winter Carnival in 1910. Dartmouth men used the formal as an enterprising excuse to invite women to the campus.
Although in the past few years, the Carnival formal has been held only sporadically, the dance was, at one point, the keystone of the Carnival weekend.
Event coordinators say they would like to see the Swing Ball become an annual tradition, much like the Winter Carnival formals of old.
However, Associate Director of Student Activities Linda Kennedy said, "We're not calling it a formal because we want to distinguish it from that."
Swing Ball co-chairs are Emily Anadu '00, Nancy Fopiano '98, Jaime Kleinman '00 and Catherine Maxson '99.
Kennedy and Fopiano said they expect around 600 students to attend.
There are many formals and semiformals throughout the year, from the freshman semiformal to formals for various fraternities and sororities. But the Swing Ball provides a chance for "the whole campus to come together," said Anadu.
Dress for the event will be formal. Men will most likely wear anything from "the ubiquitous navy blazer and khakis to white tails," while women will wear "anything from cocktail dresses to long gowns," said Kennedy.
The ball will feature the well-known, Boston-based jazzy White Heat Swing Orchestra, and will be catered by the Hanover Inn.
The orchestra will be performing jazz from the 1930s to 1940s. They are best known for recording the soundtrack to the movie Dick Tracy.
Event coordinators say a limited number of tickets will be available at the door, but they prefer students buy their tickets in advance at the Collis Information Desk.
Tickets for the Winter Swing Ball are $5. The ball is open to all Dartmouth students.
