Rosanna Sarpi (second row from bottom, second from left) helped to prepare radio host Fifi Box (front row, second from left) for her ‘mature age’ deb ball alongside students from Werribee Secondary College and MacKillop College. 72755 Picture: DANNY D’MELLO/RMS DEBUTANTE PRESENTATIONS
By Alesha Capone
BEFORE radio hosts Fifi Box and Jules Lund could take part in a ‘mature age’ debutante ball, they needed an expert to help make them deb-ready.
The Fox FM drive hosts called on Rosanna Sarpi, from the Wyndham-based RMS Debutante Presentations, to help Ms Box achieve her life-long dream of becoming a deb and taking her place in society.
Ms Sarpi said she felt privileged to be part of ‘Fifi’s Mature Aged Debutante’, which involved appearing on the radio, in videos on the FOX FM website and coaching the pair.
Ms Sarpi said she taught Ms Box and Mr Lund about how to present themselves while coming down stairs at the deb, curtsey and helped with their outfits.
“Jules needed to learn to be a ‘gentleman’ and not orchestrate any childhood pranks that were going to upset Fifi on her big day,” she said.
“Jules was always the prankster, always inciting mischief putting Fifi on edge that he would deliberately sabotage her big day.
“I needed to prep Jules about the ‘rules of engagement’, so to speak, what was allowed and what wasn’t allowed. Jules commented that I was a hard taskmaster.”
Ms Sarpi said the biggest challenge of training Ms Box and Mr Lund for the deb ball was fitting what would usually be 12 months of preparation into nine days.
“The most enjoyable part was seeing the excitement of the students who took part in the debutante ball, at the rehearsal, at Sheldon Receptions the Sunday before the actual deb ball,” she said.
“They were genuinely excited to be a part of this and all the students were all made to feel that Fifi and Jules didn’t want to take over their deb ball but rather literally ‘tack on’ as the radio station’s producers suggested.”
Ms Sarpi said the teenagers from Werribee Secondary College and MacKillop College who made their debuts alongside the radio hosts were thrilled to meet the pair.
“Knowing you were a part of something that thousands of Australians were tuning into each afternoon or checking out on our website or that of Fifi and Jules’ website, just made the entire process so exciting,” Ms Sarpi said.
