The Disco Era took flight in Asian and Middle Eastern nightlife through the late 70s to the 80s. Disco’s influence took over the club scene worldwide, especially in Tehran, Bollywood, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Not only that, the disco influence on Asian American communities extends to curious pockets like the Vietnamese New Wave scene which is heavily influenced by Euro disco.

The dance floor of discotheques has been a haven for queer celebration, liberation, and self-expression. Our prom will particularly draw inspiration from the warm, rich colors found in the Bollywood and Desi disco scene and we’re excited to see y’all there!

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The pervasiveness of disco throughout Asia and Asian America is truly a fascinating one so we’ve provided some fun sources that were used in our research.

• Auty, Xavier. - Lonely Table, 29 Nov. 2016. | “The Story of Japanese Disco in 10 Records: Introduction.”

• Balram, Dhruva. - The Guardian, 21 June 2019. | “From Bengal to Boogie: Rupa Biswas, India’s Rediscovered Disco Diva.”

• Bhattacharya, Spandan. - DOI.org (Crossref), South Asian History and Culture, vol. 14, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 224–36. | “Disco Flamboyance, Performative Masculinities and Dancer Heroes of Bengali Cinema.”

• Chan, Annette. - Localiiz, Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Hidden Hong Kong: A History of Hong Kong Nightlife.”

• Chau, Quilla. - Lifted, Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Vogue Dancers Thrive around Asia.”

• Hua, Tan-Chui. - biblioasia, Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “When Disco Fever Raged.”

• Molinari, Aleph. - Materia, 26 Oct. 2021 | DISCO TEHRAN: THE ANCIENT ART OF THE PARTY.

• Mukherjee, Anushka. - Homegrown, 8 June 2021 |“How Disco Took India By Storm In The Glorious ‘80s.”

• Ramamurthy, Prasad. - Condé Nast Traveller India, 31 Jan. 2013. | “Studio 29: Where Bombay Partied in the ’80s.”

• Sahim, Sarah. - Pitchfork, 26 May 2015. | “Disco Goes to Bollywood: A Rough Guide.”

• Shooter, Natalie. - Al Jazeera. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Ihsan Al-Mounzer: The Godfather of Belly Dance Disco.”

• Stanley, Simon. - Roads & Kingdoms, 19 May 2018. | “This Cross-Dressing Artist Is Leading a Dance Revolution in Vietnam.”

• Stein, Michael. - Intellect, Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | Forever Fever: “Disco Culture,” Commercialism, and Singaporean Society.

• Sumarlina - SBS Voices. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Thailand’s ‘Waacking’ Drag Queen on How Punk Dance Heals.”

• Tan, Yin Lin. - RICE, 13 Sept. 2020. | “From LA’s LGBT Disco Clubs to the SMU Concourse: A Brief History of Waacking in Singapore.”

• Tatarski, Michael. - Saigoneer. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | The Curious Subculture of Vietnamese New Wave

• Library of Congress,Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Music & Veterans: The Vietnam Era & Disco.”

• Telekom Electronic Beats, 28 Feb. 2019. | “Hong Kong’s ’80s Disco Scene Was Off The Hook, And These Videos Prove It.”

• The Singapore LGBT Encyclopaedia Wiki. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | “Singapore Gay Venues: Historical.”

• Tien Wah Press, Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. | Ming Court Hotel.