For one night, campus transformed to the refined and romantic English Regency era with The Bridgerton Ball, hosted by Southern Utah University’s Student Association. Held on Nov. 19 in the Sharwan Smith Student Center ballroom, the event sought to fully immerse attendees in a world inspired by the Netflix series “Bridgerton.”
As they arrived, students received a copy of “Lady Whistledown,” a reference to a gossip column in the series, before venturing into the ballroom through an archway of flowers.
The room was divided into three sections: catering, a dance floor and an activity area. A vintage photo booth, DIY hand fan station and indoor croquet were available. At the center of the ballroom, the queen’s throne served as the focal point of the evening.
To open the ball, SUU Ballroom Dance Company demonstrated a Regency-era dance and invited everyone to join. Students twirled across the floor dressed in period-inspired costumes to the tunes of the era.
“I love the whole event, but at the very beginning, when everyone was dancing and learning from the Ballroom Dance Company, (that) was truly my favorite part,” said Benedicte Balumiza, director of the student programming board at SUUSA. “The fact that (students) were actually having so much fun— I just loved it.”
To accurately represent the world of “Bridgerton,” the “Diamond of the Season scene was recreated. In the series, ladies are introduced to the queen, and the most accomplished, beautiful and eligible of them is granted the title of the Diamond. At the beginning of the event, students were able to scan a QR code to enter their names and have the opportunity to be chosen for this much-desired title. As their names were called, each candidate had to appear before the queen and bow.
Live Tambwe was nominated as the Diamond of the Night.
“(The nomination) was a bit of a surprise for me but I’m just so happy and grateful for it,” said Tambwe. “The first season is my favorite, so my look was inspired by Daphne Bridgerton.”
Since the series is as renowned for its music as it is its wardrobe, Thor joined the event as an esteemed guest and played piano songs such as Céline Dion and Peabo Bryson’s “Beauty and the Beast (duet)” and Iron & Wine’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth.”
Because of the magical Regency features incorporated into this event, many students were keen to find out more about the world of “Bridgerton.”
“I love the event, it was so fun and creative,” said Elizabeth Bergeson, an attendee at the ball. “I’ve heard a lot about (the series) before and I would say that I would like to watch it now.”
The Bridgerton Ball marked SUUSA’s final event before Thanksgiving, but many more are planned for the future. Interested students can find more information on their Instagram and website.
Author: Fanny Felixine
Editor: Heather Turner
Copy Editor: Kayd Johanson
Photos by Margaux Feret
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