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May Ball in Cambridge

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The bridge over the River Cam at Clare College during its 2005 May Ball.

A May Ball is a ball -- an all-night entertainment -- at a Cambridge college at the end of the academic year held, despite its name, in June.

The balls are formal affairs, requiring evening dress, with ticket prices of around £65 to £160, with some colleges selling tickets only in pairs. The balls are held in the college gardens, lasting from around 9 p.m. until well after dawn, with some colleges offering rides in balloons when the ball ends, and even breakfast in Paris, or, more traditionally, punting to Grantchester. "Survivors' photographs" are taken of those who last until morning.

Colleges hosting balls

Many colleges originally held the balls during May, sometimes in the week preceding year-end exams. Today, they take place in May Week, which usually starts on the second Thursday of June following the end of exams, and which includes Suicide Sunday. The balls operate a strict dress code. Magdalene is the only college which insists on white tie, while either black or white tie is acceptable at Trinity and Peterhouse, and all others are black tie. Most balls are themed, though Magdalene's and Trinity's are notable for their lack of a theme.

Time magazine once described St. John's May ball as the "7th greatest party in the world"[citation needed]. The First and Third Trinity Boat Club May ball (named after the boat club, but run by Trinity College) is one of the most famous; it is always held on the first Monday of May Week, and its tickets are highly sought after. Other desirable May balls are held annually by Clare, which has some of the most beautiful gardens, and Jesus, whose ball is popular amongst first year students. Robinson hosts the first ball of May Week, and is also one of the least expensive black tie balls. Hughes' ball, on the first Saturday of May Week, is also inexpensive and is popular among graduate students. Trinity, Clare and St. John's are situated directly on the River Cam, along the Backs, as are Queens' and Trinity Hall. As a result, when several balls are held on the same evening, the river is lit up in different colours from the lights and the fireworks, creating a memorable backdrop to the evening's festivities.

Annual balls are held by Hughes Hall and St Edmund's; while Emmanuel, Corpus Christi, Christ's, Gonville and Caius, Homerton, Newnham, Queens', Sidney Sussex, Darwin and St Catharine's hold May Balls every two years. Pembroke and Downing returned to hosting May balls in 2007.

Most balls have fundamental similarities: all will offer guests a variety of food, entertainment, and a bevy of alcoholic drinks. The quality and diversity of all of these vary markedly between different balls. While all claim to offer luxury (and many deliver), some have distinctive hallmarks: Peterhouse is famed for its Ferris wheel, Trinity for its unlimited champagne, St. John's for having the most expensive fireworks, Magdalene for its dining.

Ball crashing

Colleges with larger May balls pay considerable attention to security and the prevention of ball crashing. With tickets priced at over £100 and in short supply, students often try to gain unauthorized access, climbing high walls, arriving dressed as gorillas pretending to be part of the evening's entertainment, and posing as journalists. Typically, college porters are joined by security staff (often staffed by members of sports teams), and, at larger balls, police, to identify and apprehend the crashers. Some Colleges have hired professional security staff, and have painted walls with anti-burglar paint, which stains the crashers' clothes with luminous green paint, making it somewhat difficult to blend in.

As part of the security arrangements, students living in parts of the College and not attending the May Ball are often required either to vacate their rooms or remain in them without leaving overnight, in spite of the inevitable loud music.

Alternatives

Guests watching a fireshow at King's June Event

Several colleges host a variation on these balls, a more egalitarian June Event. These are cheaper, tend to be focused on live music, and frequently have less formal dress codes. Some colleges alternate June events and May balls from year to year. Trinity Hall, Wolfson, King's and Pembroke hold June events.

In order to spread the fun throughout the year, a number of colleges have broken with tradition to hold balls at different times, normally either in the winter at the end of Michaelmas term, i.e. the beginning of December, or in spring at the end of Lent term. Selwyn is the only college to hold a yearly winter ball, known as the Snow Ball; this year Selwyn will hold both winter and summer balls. Of the spring balls, that of Girton is held every other year, whereas Churchill continues to produce an annual ball.

Peterhouse and Magdalene have held balls on alternating years, most recently in 2006 and 2007 respectively. However, due to Peterhouse's poor academic performance, the Governing Body controversially cancelled the 2008 ball, announcing that thereafter it would be a triennial event, much to the dismay and anger of many students. Selwyn is holding a special 125th anniversary May ball in 2008. This will be unusual as it is being held on the Saturday of May Week, when balls are normally all held between Monday and Friday.

Outside Cambridge

Cambridge May Balls have inspired numerous off-shoots at other institutions throughout the UK and abroad. These may differ widely from the original and often come under a variety of names, but still maintain many of the traditional elements. For example, the component colleges of the University of Durham hold summer balls; the most noteworthy of these is University College's June Ball, held in its home at Durham Castle. The event is white tie, with a secret theme. Tickets are usually in the region of £205 per pair.

Performances

Balls have an enviable reputation for securing private performances from leading entertainers; some notable performances are listed below.

2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001

2008 Calendar

  • Friday 13th
    • Robinson May Ball - Enchantment.
  • Saturday 14th
    • Hughes Hall May Ball - Explore.
  • Sunday 15th
    • Emmanuel June Event - Rodeo.
  • Monday 16th
    • Clare May Ball - Metamorphosis / Swan Lake.
    • Trinity May Ball - No Theme.
    • Jesus May Ball - Bohemia.
  • Tuesday 17th
    • Gonville and Caius May Ball - City Lights.
    • Christ's May Ball - Jasmine.
    • St John's May Ball - Orient Express.
  • Wednesday 18th
    • Trinity Hall June Event - Pangaea
    • Pembroke June Event - A Night at The Chocolate Factory.
    • St Catherine's May Ball - Narnia.
    • Sidney Sussex May Ball - Aurora.
    • Kings Affair - Stella Erratica.
  • Friday 20th
    • Darwin May Ball - Seven Sins.
    • St Edmund's May Ball - Garden Of Eden.
  • Saturday 21st
    • Selwyn May Ball - No Theme.

See also

May Week

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