The annual SMB Ball – organized by the School’s social committee AMOEBA – was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Sydney CBD this year and carried a Great Gatsby theme. Lab members turned out in numbers and in fine style as you can see below, and the ball was also the debut gig for Joel’s jazz quintet The Minor Groove – featuring Marcus McHale on drums, Sam Choi on melodica and keyboard, Neil Robertson on bass, Joel on tenor sax and the incomparable Elissa Liew on keyboard and vocals. The lab also did well in the costume awards, with Joel and Steph picking up the Best Dressed prizes, Sarah taking out one of the Most Inventive awards (she was a shoe-in!) and Tanya also winning a prize for her outfit. The evening also featured dance performances from the School’s Brian Francisco and his partner Saki, who were on their way to the World Salsa Championships in Miami (where they finished a fantastic fourth!) and Pearl Lee, AMOEMBA president and modern dance exponent.

The food was good, the wine and beer flowed freely, the DJ provided plenty of tunes to dance to and a good time was had by all!