Dance options for the energetic late-nighter

Of course you decided to come to Yale for the rigorous education, but as we know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Soon you will realize that Yale is not as hard as your friends told you and that time can and should be set aside for fun. For many students, fun can be found at college parties or at one of the many plays, a capella jams, or concerts that take place each weekend. However, as the year goes on, you really might not want to spend any more intellectual energy on a Saturday night at a thought-provoking play.

FILE PHOTO After a long Saturday night in a frat basement, you might want to show off on the booty cam at Toad's.

For students who feel an urge to dance to a beat, the answer lies beyond the sanctuary of Yale. The improved New Haven club scene now presents a different option for Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights.

During the first week of Camp Yale and the relaxed atmosphere of shopping period, you will probably hear mention of Toad's. Relax, Toad's has nothing to do with amphibians, just with dancing to the cheesiest current pop hits. Toad's is renowned for its Saturday night dance scene, which begins around 11 p.m. but usually gets busy around 12:30 a.m.

Toad's is traditionally a hot spot for athletes, frat brothers, and girls out to strut their stuff. The dance floor is big and there are stairs leading up to an elevated platform where one can try to dance for all of Toad's to see via the "booty cam," which displays some of the sweetest moves (among other things) of the assembled partiers.

The music is too loud for anyone to have much conversation, but at Toad's you can meet up with a lot of friends whom you don't see during the week. For some people Toad's can become a habit that's hard to kick. When you see a mass exodus of people from fraternity parties, you might wonder where it is they are going. The answer they'll inevitably give you is simple: "On Saturday, all roads lead to Toad's."

Wednesday and Thursday nights are more low-key than Saturday at Toad's, and dancers generally head for Crown Street instead of York. Club Risk opened in 2001 with a two-floor bar and dance floor located above a restaurant. The dance floor is smaller than Toads', but the music tends to be more eclectic than just mainstream pop and techno. Besides mirrors and neon lights, the second floor boasts comfortable leather sofas and a railing to look down on the dancers below. For those looking to start their weekend particularly early, Risk offers Wednesday night specials for Yalies.

For students with less permissive schedules, Thursday night is a more popular time to go out and socialize. Freshmen will soon learn that surprisingly few classes meet on Fridays. BAR, located on Crown Street, is a great pizza restaurant that also offers a wide selection of beers on tap, a large dance floor, and a pool table. Yalies come here on Thursdays more for the beer and the warm wooden seats than for the dancing and, as with Toad's, it's only 21 and over.

Friday night is probably the slowest night at Yale in terms of dance clubs, and most people looking for a place to dance will opt instead for a campus party—Old Campus and the frats are both good bets for some action.

On the evenings next year that you do decide to venture outside Yale's walls and explore New Haven nightlife, there are many places to have a good time where you can forget about, say, Odysseus' marital troubles or how cost-benefit analysis works and dance the night away.

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