Fly me to the moon

Nearly 300 attendees stacked into Main Events for Anime USA’s first formal ball. With a 90-minute dance lesson beforehand, the Celestial Ball featured the waltz, foxtrot and rumba.

In a mashup of prom sequins and Japanese kimonos, con-goers swayed and danced to the sounds of classic anime songs such as Fly Me to the Moon from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sore ga Ai deshou from Full Metal Panic Fumoffu!. Dance hosts, staff who were previously trained in ballroom dancing, were on hand to show dancers a few new moves.

The three-hour event was extremely successful, allowing attendees to get their first taste of ballroom dancing.

They are coming…

Irene, an lunch waitress from the second floor restaurant Cinnabar, just smiled as staffers flew through for a quick bite to eat. “I hope you have fun this weekend,” she said with a winkled smile. “I hear that something is going to happen.”

That something is Anime USA 2007. Staffers, attendees and even cosplayers arrived today to make sure last minute items are taken care of. Are the TVs in the Video Game Room all set? Do the dealers in the Dealers’ Room have badges? Why does the Celestial Ball staff need two and a half gallons of canola oil?

All these questions are to be answered tomorrow as the convention opens at 1 p.m. Hope to see you there!