For the third annual Chocolate Ball, held Friday at the Palais Royale, event producer Joey Cee wanted to recreate the glamour of Old Hollywood with a cocktail party for 450 guests. He used minimal decor to dress the ballroom. "I love this venue...when I saw all the chocolate colours and the retro decor, I said, 'This was made for me. This is made out of chocolate.'"
Cee said he reinvents the concept for the ball by switching up the theme annually. This year he called upon the Toronto All-Star Big Band Orchestra and the team from Capital Dance Productions—which conducted demonstrations of swing, tango, tap, Charleston, and ballroom dancing routines—to bring his "Puttin' on the Glitz" theme to life.
The event—which benefits the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Credit Valley Hospital—featured food stations offering a variety of hors d'oeuvres and desserts from Brookside, Edible Arrangements, Criveller Cakes, La Rocca Creative Cakes, Il Fornello Restaurants, the Elliott House Restaurant, Dolcini By Joseph Inc., Skyy Vodka, Chris and Larry's Clodhoppers, LPK's Culinary Groove, the Belgian Chocolate Shop, Xoçai, the Chef Upstairs, Mississauga Chef School, Cacao Barry, Amarula Cream, Callebaut, Aggie Martin, and Dance in the Rain Chocolate Truffles.