When someone says “Studio 54,” chances are images of the seventies come to mind: bell bottoms, afros, disco balls, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. And that’s the atmosphere Studio 54 tries to recreate and update every night in Vegas – well, skinny jeans are worn instead of bell bottoms, and we’re pretty sure we haven’t seen an afro there yet, but you catch our drift. But for Studio 54’s 10th Anniversary, the club did something a bit different. Held on December 7, instead of going the revamped disco route, the club had a winter ball, appropriately themed 54 Below.
Studio 54's Scene
The scene was set from the get-go; when my friends and I walked into the club, a fog machine covered the entryway’s floor, our ankles hidden. It definitely set the mood – I think I actually felt myself get a bit chilly – but that feeling disappeared when we walked into the club and saw all the models. Go-go dancers in “ice-covered” cages and on elevated platforms surrounding the dance floor danced to hip hop and Top-40 mash ups in ice blue outfits, women in strappy, ruffly mini-mini dresses, men went shirtless but wore vests and pants. About every 20 minutes, aerialists descended from the space above the floor and club-goers craned their necks to watch scantily clad performers twisting and contorting their bodies onto and inside of metal contraptions shaped like stars and moons. But those outfits were nothing compared to what the painted models were wearing...that’s right, paint and nothing else! Well, maybe some rhinestones and glitter, but that doesn’t exactly do much to cover up. Even less coverage: topless dancers from Crazy Horse came to perform a sultry dance. It’s a wonder the “frozen” dance floor didn’t melt!
Studio 54's Dance Floor
The club’s signature huge dance floor was packed with people dancing under falling snow. The dancers had a grand finale of their own, emerging from an ice castle for a dance performance. If ever there was something white-hot, that dance was it.
If Studio 54’s goal was to create an arctic playground for Vegas to experience, they should consider their mission accomplished. Even though the VIP areas weren’t really decked out with the winter color scheme of ice blue and white, the snow bunnies catering to customers in various all white lingerie get-ups from Frederick’s of Hollywood and white go-go boots brought the winter wonderland effect. And if making the entire place 54 Below wasn’t enough of a celebration, Oscar de la Hoya hosted the evening, to promote December 8th’s Floyd Mayweather – Ricky Hatton fight. The host looked hot, but not hot enough to melt the club.
In the past ten years, Studio 54’s gotten better with age, we think. Congratulations on ten years of non-stop partying!
Wanna hit the place for New Year's Eve? Check out Studio 54 New Year's Eve Las Vegas
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