By Roxy Rowe (Staff Writer)
TORONTO – This year’s Rom Prom takes you away…to the Forbidden City and is aptly named “Forbidden Prom”. The event’s namesake comes from the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) newest exhibition The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors.
Over a thousand fun loving patrons came out in support of Toronto’s treasure trove museum, the ROM, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
Donna Kuczynski, Lori Siddons, Gordon Cheung
Hors d’eouvres were served up in Chinese style in white take-out boxes with chopsticks. Succulent tender beef and noodles, spring rolls and dumpling dim sum excited the palate. The sweet tooth was satisfied with buttery shortbread cookies by Mary Macleod’s, rich chocolates from Purdy’s and for those who did not want to go the forbidden route there were gluten free/no refined sugar “chocolately balls” by Nomz.
Pampering stylists were on hand for complimentary manicures, makeup and hair touch-ups. Special activities included tasseography – the personal reading of tea leaves by a fortune teller. Another popular activity for which there was a sizeable queue, was a selfie station – complete with mirror and bright lighting.
The exciting floorshow began with the traditional Chinese Lion Dance prancing to a thumping drumbeat with fluttering eyelashes. A very colourful Chinese Fan Dance followed in perfect choreography.
What’s a Prom without a slow dance? Immediately after the floorshow, the dance floor was opened up to the crowd — like a high school gym. DJ Rory Them Finest hosted the Prom with dance tunes playing well into the night.
Rom Prom is an annual fundraiser in its ninth year, put on by the Young Patron’s Circle (YPC). The funds raised go to producing world-class exhibitions, establishing new galleries, funding leading edge research as well as educational programs.
The ROM Forbidden PROM Gallery
