The All India Anglo-Indian Association’s Boxing Day Ball, which lasted all night long on Tuesday, was nothing short of a spectacle. With about 2,000 nattily dressed guests turning up at Tivoli Gardens, the 140-year-old tradition is still going strong. Women were dressed in beautiful flowing gowns and attractive dresses while the men looked dapper in sharp, well-fitting suits, wearing confidence on their sleeves, just like their dance moves. The ball started around 10 pm and concluded with a bang at 6 am. The spirit of Boxing Day helped one and all to dance the night away!
A live band played retro music and the DJ enthralled dancers with pop songs. Various ‘novelty dances’ were held, where people had to use props like Santa hats or masquerade masks while dancing, at the end of which a lucky winner gets a prize. Impromptu hustles that broke out had everyone synchronise with each other, effortlessly. The showstopper of the gala event, however, was the jive competition.
takes two to twirl: Jason and Nesa
Warren La’Touche, the president of the association explains, “The first dance that any Anglo-Indian learns is the jive. It’s somewhat like the tango, but you can jive to many more songs. The competition held impromptu dances from the participants. Five couples were short-listed and a lucky draw among them decided who the winner was.”
While Christmas Day is spent with close family, Boxing Day celebrates the spirit of the holiday season with extended family and friends by exchanging gifts. And this annual ball served as the perfect way to indulge in this activity and spread the cheer.
The night is young: (left) Andrea (Above) Nash Ross with Lymraina
Nash Ross, a college student who has attended the ball every year says, “This is what I grew up with. For example the hustle and jive comes so naturally to us because we have been doing it since we were children. We wait a whole year for this night and when it arrives, we don’t stop dancing until sunrise.”
The party is not confined to Anglo-Indians alone. People of all communities take part. Yeshvant Geddam, a filmmaking enthusiast says, “I’m attending a ball for the first time. I was introduced to a new culture and loved the concept of how families get together just to dance and have fun all night.”
Cousins Shashank and Ritesh Agarwal also attended the ball. Ritesh says, “I saw an article about it in Deccan Chronicle and was fascinated. We had to come and experience it for ourselves. I had attended one 14 years ago, and it was even more grand!”
