Dancing Queens

I entered a new world on Thursday night – a world of disco, flares, glitter and fondue. Platform shoes trampled the dance floor and afros filled the space above it. It seemed I had been sucked in to a time-warp, and a fabulously funky one at that.

To celebrate the launch of SingStar ABBA, Playstation threw a 1970’s inspired party to rival all others, and for a good cause, with proceeds going to the ‘Look Good Feel Better’ Foundation.

Costume parties are my secret- some would say shameful- obsession. I simply can not resist the thrill of pulling together an outfit which would generally be considered horrendous, then wearing it loud and proud without a smidgen of a thought for fashion, or indeed taste. Case in point – the SingStar ABBA party. Donning a glitter-knit v-neck mini-dress, with velvet knee-high boots and a lace scarf around my head, I made my way down the stairs to Boogie Wonderland to be greeted by a deliciously sticky Japanese Slipper – which, to avoid any confusion, is a cocktail as opposed to a shoe. Disco tunes filled my ears and I could feel my feet begin to itch. My other shameful obsession? 70’s hits.

The Funk DJ did a fantastic job, pumping out Whitney Houston’s ‘I Want to Dance with Somebody’, the Jackson 5’s ‘Don’t Blame it on the Sunshine’ and the much-loved Grease montage, among other favourites. A four person dance troupe aided in getting the crowd ready to boogie and before long the floor was pulsating with punters. Prizes were presented to best dressed and spot prizes were passed out to the dancing queens, or kings, of the evening. In tribute to the event, SingStar was played later in the night.

I was reluctant to leave my new found world, but eventually I stepped back in to reality, resisting temptation to boogie forever more. The SingStar ABBA party certainly lived up to its promise of ‘Party of the Year’ – I only hope I don’t have to wait a whole year for another night like it… Maybe it’s time to start embracing the disco lifestyle.

Story and photos, Courtney Mason, 13 December 2008