A Donghua University student checks the poster of the upcoming Shanghai Magna Graduation Ball 2009 on campus. [Shanghai Daily]

Chinese college grads, often a bit shy and reserved, are throwing Shanghai's first graduation prom on Saturday and though it may not be a night of twist-and-shout, it promises to be a night to remember.

China has no tradition of proms - those very American formal dances for high school juniors and seniors with all the trappings of rites of passage.

It's so important who your date is, how cool he/she is, and what you wear.

Before graduation, classmates may celebrate quietly with a few close friends at dinner, go away as a group for a few days or enjoy a cultural performance put on by their college or university.

Then they go their separate ways.

So the Shanghai Magna Graduation Ball 2009 will be a first - a last blast with their buddies. In addition to dancing, there will be performances presented by student troupes as well as soft drinks, chips and ice cream to enjoy.

It's believed to be the city's first prom of any kind, and it's a "pan-university" prom organized by students themselves.

Around 500-600 graduates from 11 universities and colleges are expected to attend the party in Art Shaker, 800 Art Zone, in Yangpu District. Schools include Fudan, Jiao Tong, Tongji, East China Normal and Shanghai International Studies universities and Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Admission is free. Around 100 tickets are available. The only requirement is that you be a senior. If you're a guy, wear a suit, if you're a gal, wear a dress.

Take a date, or go solo. Many young people plan to go with a group of friends.

Expat seniors are welcome.

The sponsors are Doritos chips, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins ice cream.

"The word 'magna' in Latin means all the top students of the class, and this ball will be a platform for students of all the best schools to socialize, communicate and bond," says Kiki Dong, one of the organizers. She's a graduating English major from Shanghai International Studies University.

There will be other Magna events after the prom, such as drama shows, she says.

"My friends and I are organizing this big party out of personal interest. We hope there will be proms in China like those in Western countries to remember four years of college life," says Dong.

She got the idea of a prom for college grads when she was a freshman, expecting that someone else would actually organize it.

"But four years passed and that 'someone' hadn't shown up. So I decided to be that 'someone'," she smiles.

The idea of a prom night, a big party, a blast, is unusual in China where students are relatively shy and moderate.

So the Magna Graduation Ball will not only be a time for Chinese students to relax, socialize and recall their campus days but also to experience a bit of another culture.