Senior Travis Stevens, assistant director of late night programming for Union Board, said the Union Board strives to create events for students with diverse ?interests.
The dance, which began with IU’s Quidditch Team last year, has grown this year to include the Harry Potter Society, the IU Cinema Guild a nd the Ballroom Dance Club, he said.
“It was a much smaller scale,” he said.
Senior Adam Fialkowski, director of late night programming for Union Board, said the Break Dance Club and the Ballet Club will also participate in the night’s festivities.
Stevens said the four groups have been meeting weekly with Union Board to coordinate all parts of the event from the schedule and lights to the sound and ?publicity.
“The organizations have been fantastic to work with,” he said.
Elements of the fourth Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” were relied on heavily for scheduling and designing the event, Stevens said.
Fialkowski said it is difficult but necessary to select themes and decorations that contribute to the overall effect. It’s a dance, but it is also an atmosphere that needs to be believable.
“We’re essentially trying to recreate that scene (from the fourth Harry Potter film) itself,” he said.
From a candle lit ceiling to members of the Cinema Guild portraying characters to dance groups acting as visiting schools, the ball is meant to create a feeling of being at Hogwarts, ?Stevens said.
“Just having their presence is just going to add to the magic of the night,” ?he said.
Fialkowski said the goal of the night is to keep things magical and transform Alumni Hall into something true to the story.
Stevens said the program is intended for IU students but is not exclusive to them.
Anybody who buys a ticket, priced at $15, is allowed to attend the black tie event.
Any unsold tickets will be sold at the door, he said.
Last year’s event had about 150 people attend, but this year, with a bigger budget and bigger space, it is likely to grow, he said.
“From the way it looks, we’re going to get full attendance,” Fialkowski said.
There’s a community of people on campus that grew up with Harry Potter stories and love this event, Fialkowski said.
He said it is an opportunity to experience something that even those who aren’t fans of Harry Potter can enjoy.
Stevens said the event will allow students to engage in something different from what they would normally do to take a study break.
“It’s all about a connection,” he said.
The event will provide people with an opportunity to socialize with groups they may not be familiar with on campus, Stevens said.
“Just come and prepare to have a ball,” he said.
