Ballroom and tango dancing were the lessons of the night for the more than 130 WMU students who donned formal attire and masks to attend the Masquerade Ball April 11 hosted by the International Programs Council.

IPC Masquerade Ball photos

The ball was also a venue to honor many IPC members who were recognized for their participation in one of WMU’s largest and most active student organizations. Many attendees, like Hashim Alsharif, a sophomore from Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, stayed until the last dance about midnight.

"It was like the Oscars at Western," said Alsharif, who is majoring in biomedical sciences. "International students have waited all year for this event. Hopefully it will encourage other international students to get involved in IPC. I especially liked seeing everyone dressed up."

The ball featured dance lessons by a duo from the University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Team, Portage native Keith Reisinger, and Kasia Strzalkowski, from West Bloomfield.

"While my dance partner and I are used to seeing diverse groups of people at U of M working together, we rarely see these same groups of people socializing with one another," Reisinger said. "This event created an atmosphere where that interaction was possible and everyone seemed excited to learn to ballroom dance."

Stephen Wood, Haenicke Institute international programming intern, said the ball was a great success and that plans are underway to "make it even better for next year."

Photos taken by professional photographer Anthony Dugal can be viewed online.

Comments from other participants:

Chitra Tarigopula
Bangalore, India
Junior majoring in finance and integrated supply management

"IPC's Masquerade Ball was an event that integrated elegance and fun. The best part of the event was the dance session by two well-trained and highly knowledgeable students from University of Michigan that taught us some movements of ballroom dance. This event can be summarized by excellent ambiance, good food and great music."

Daing S. Nasir
Born in Kalamazoo, but from Malaysia
Junior majoring in film, video & media studies

"The ball came at a good time for me and my friends to get together to unwind and relieve our stress from our respective hectic schedules. It was like a celebration for the Malaysian Students Organization to reminisce our memories, fun and laughter of the year. Kudos to IPC for recognizing the international diversity that exists at Western. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful, colorful and memorable event this semester."

Pooja Suresh
Bangalore, India
Junior majoring in management, minoring in dance

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Masquerade Ball. It was a really nice event to go to as an international student because I did not have a 'prom' to go to back home. Also, the awards ceremony set the tone for the rest of the evening with its warm and encouraging message. I especially loved the dance lessons because I am a student of the College of Fine Arts, as well. It was also great to meet many other international students from various countries, which I don’t get to do at other events. It was a memorable experience."