“Life is a circus ring, with some moments more spectacular than others.” – Janusz Korczak
Some of the most spectacular experiences in a young woman’s life is prepping for and experiencing their High School dances! But after graduating, most of these women don’t ever receive the opportunity to re-live those moments. That’s not a problem for the students at Saint Vincent College! Every Spring, the Activities Board hosts an elegant ‘Cotillion’ dance. This year’s Cotillion theme was titled, “The Greatest Show on Earth”, in honor of the movie musical The Greatest Showman. The Greatest Showman is based on P.T Barnum’s unrealistic circus acts from the 1800’s.
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the event, but a few of my close friends and teammates did. I wanted to make their night memorable, so I offered to do a pre-dance photo shoot of the girls and their dates!
“The photo shoot was very fun even though it was freezing outside. We had to run in and out of The Basilica between pictures to keep warm, but we made it work.” Katie Cramer expressed. “It was a great way to savor these memories for years to come!”
From L to R: Carlee Kilgus, Bri Van Volkenburg, Stephanie Vaughn, Paige Montrose, Katie Cramer
Even though I didn’t make an appearance at the dance, I spoke with the girls afterwards and received feedback on their experiences…
Paige Montrose gave the inside scoop on the dance itself! “The dance was enjoyable! All the decorations and trapezists made it feel so authentic. There were lots of things to do like dance, eat, take pictures at the photo booth, and have a caricature drawn!” Along with Paige, Stephanie Vaughn gushed over the social aspect of the event, “What I appreciated the most was that no matter what, everyone was extremely friendly and just wanted to have a good time! At one point I was dancing with people whom I’ve never spoken to before, and we had an amazing time.”
Cotillion was a way to let yourself go and feel free for a night! It’s no question that too much studying and work can become overbearing at the college level. And the dance was a great escape for the students. Bri Van Volkenburg and her boyfriend, Blake Wade both agreed, “It was a really nice venue, and very fun to get dressed up and get off campus!” The dance was located at the Chestnut Ridge Resort, about a half hour away from the Saint Vincent campus.
The photogenic Carlee Kilgus and Josh Duda reminisced, “It was great being able to get away from campus and all the school work to dance and hang out with our friends!”
From talking to the girls, it became very evident that this was an event you should NOT miss! Next year, I will definitely purchase a ticket and dress up alongside my favorite accessory, my camera…
HCXO,
Lauren