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The Victorian Ball |
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Ball FAQ |
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Victorian Ball FAQDance Levels | Cost | Clothes | Shoes | Dance Cards | Ballroom Etiquette | Other Links | Refund Policy | Directions | Video ClipsTriangle Vintage Dance sends out a huge thank you to Stormi Souter for her help on edtiting this page!What type of dancing will there be at this ball and do I have the skill level to attend? The goal of Triangle Vintage Dance is to offer events in which dancers of all levels of experience can enjoy Vintage dance. The Victorian Ball is definitely accessible to beginners. More than half of the ball will be dances which are simple sequences that will be taught, walked through, and called while you dance. These country dances are similar to English Country Dances or Contra dances. They include dances like the Spanish Waltz, Galop Quadrille & Virginia Reel. The other part of the ball are couple dances where you dance with one other person for one dance, and you are encouraged to dance with as many different people as possible throughout the evening. Some of these couple dances will be waltzes. The Victorian Waltz is usually a turning waltz, a little faster than a typical contra dance waltz, but not as fast as a Viennese Waltz. If you know any kind of waltz, you can have fun dancing it at the ball -- just tell your partner for that dance what you are familiar with and what you would like to dance. The other couple dances include Polka and Schottische which are very easy to learn. Chris will give a brief reminder of Polka and Schottische steps right before those dances are played. Dancers may also attend dance classes, to learn the Victorian Waltz and Polka basic steps. We want to make sure beginners come to have a good time, as well as allow the intermediate dancers to have an event to practice and try out the trickier choreographies. If you are already familiar with Waltz and/or Polka, you may want to come to the intermediate dance classes to practice and learn some new variations or simply to refresh your memory on Victorian styling. Will there be a dance lesson? YES! While no classes are necessary to enjoy the ball, there will be a warmup lesson on: Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 2:00-4:00 pm at Triangle Dance Studio [directions] Can singles attend this dance if there is a lot of couple dancing? Yes, singles are definitely encouraged to attend this dance as much as couples. There will be plenty of opportunity to dance with other people and meet new folks. We encourage everyone to pre-register early, but particularly singles, so that we can go out and recruit extra leaders or followers as needed to keep the balance close. Please invite your friends as the more the merrier! Just because you sign-up or arrive with someone, does not obligate you to dance with them every dance! Everyone will be encouraged to mix and meet other dancers to fill out their dance cards. In addition, anyone is welcome to dance any role. It was quite common during the Civil War to have ladies dancing with each other, as many of the men were off at war. Please see the discussion of dance cards below for more information. Why is the Victorian Ball a bit more expensive than other dances in our area? The Victorian Ball provides live musicians, playing historically appropriate music; informative teaching and calling of dances of the period; light refreshments; and an atmosphere and opportunity to dress-up (if you want) and recreate a bygone era. We hope participants find that this type of event is worth a few extra dollars to enjoy a special night of dance. Specifics on the cost of the ball can be found here. What should I wear? Formal wear, fancy dress, Victorian styles and military uniforms are encouraged, but definitely not required. We encourage formal dress for the ball because some folks really like to dress up in period clothing and it gives the general feel for being present in a Victorian ballroom. However, the most important goal for Triangle Vintage Dance events is having fun dancing! We do not want to discourage anyone from taking part in the dances just because they don't have a vintage wardrobe or formal wear available. We recommend that you come in your best approximation of period dress that you can manage. The details are less important - it is more about giving an overall impression of that time period. Here are some ideas...
Be as formal as you'd like to be and just come enjoy the music and dance! If you want to see what some folks have worn in previous years, take a look at the photos from previous years.
Is is difficult to dance in a hoop skirt? Doesn't the hoop get in the way, so that you can't get close to your partner? Dancing with a hoop skirt isn't that much different from dancing in any other ball gown. The hoop skirt acts like a bell and sways when you get close to your partner in ballroom position for a dance. It is a good idea to wear something under the hoop skirt so that you don't flash people if the hoop sways too far out (either drawers or a regular petticoat/slip or tights.) Drawers became popular in 1856 with the invention of the cage crinoline or hoop skirt for just that reason. What type of shoes should I wear? With all the wet and sandy streets, please carry your own clean, dry, dance shoes to the ball and change into them once you get there. We recommend comfortable, leather soled shoes. Shoes with rubber soles don't slide nicely, and one must be able to glide over the floor for Victorian dance. Sneakers with treads tend to be hard to turn in, so soft-soled smooth shoes are best. Jazz oxfords are great. You can also dance in socks comfortably on the wooden floor. Ladies -- Flats or very low heeled character shoes are recommended. Please no boots, hard-soled shoes with stiff heels, spiky heels that might mark the dance floor. Area stores that sell adult dance shoes (Jazz, character, ballroom, dance sneakers, etc.)
What should I not wear? In order to preserve the wooden floor and for the safety and comfort of our other guests, please do not wear the following What are dance cards? Dance cards become popular at balls in the early 19th century and they were a way for the ladies to keep track of the gentleman to whom she had promised dances in the course of the evening. They also served as mementos of the occasion. We provide dance cards at the ball in order to evoke a more authentic feeling of the period. However, we do not adhere to the strict dance etiquette of the 19th century and dance cards should not cause you added stress during the evening. They are intended to add a bit of historical flavor and to the fun of the evening. Some mixer dances will be conducted at the beginning of the evening, to allow you to meet and dance with several partners and perhaps find new partners for later dances. While historically, a lady did not typically ask a gentleman to dance, at Triangle Vintage Dance we encourage gender equality, so followers should feel free to ask leaders to dance and leaders should be ready for dance invitations. One should never feel obligated to dance. You may always defer if you would prefer to sit out and watch a dance. If you find that your ball card is full, or has no openings that correspond to someone else's, you can request for the dancer to find you for one of the "extra" dances that will be sprinkled throughout the evening. We recommend only filling in the top half of your dance card early in the evening -- save the bottom half for filling during the intermission. The "extra" dances that are not on the dance card will give you an opportunity to dance with many different participants at the ball. History of the Dance Card Ballroom Etiquette: Although we do not adhere to a strict ballroom etiquette, it is fun to read through the typical etiquette suggestions. We have provided you with a few links to some of the advice for the period. Below are etiquette suggestions that we feel are good ones to follow, since they give the dance a distinctive Victorian feel. Usually followers did not cross the main ballroom floor alone. At the end of a dance, the leader should escort the follower to a place of her choosing -- this could be her next partner (if known from the dance card), the refreshments table, or just to the side of the hall. Abandoning a partner in the middle of the dance floor was considered to be in poor taste. Everyone feels better if he or she is treated with extra courtesy and respect. Additional Links: What is the refund policy if I can't come or if there is bad weather? Pre-registrations are non-refundable, however you may transfer your registration to someone else who can attend on Saturday. Also, if you need to cancel and notify Chris BEFORE the dance, then he can carry forward your payment as credit towards a future private lesson. Weather Policy If there is threatening weather, a decision will be made 4 hours before the event as to whether the event will go on and a message will be on the answering machine at (919) 9-DANCE-2 [932-6232]. I will also email or phone those people who are pre-registered. If the event is cancelled, of course all registration money (including checks or PayPal) will be refunded. If the event goes on, but you are unable to attend because of weather (please be safe and use your best judgment), I will give you a refund. If you are unable to attend for other reasons, you may transfer your registration to a friend, or get a credit towards a future private lesson. Where will the ball be held? This year the ball will be held at the Carrboro Century Center. Directions to Carrboro Century Center Video clips from the 2007 Victorian Ball If you do not see the embedded video below, you may be able to view it directly on YouTube's site (see links below). This video shows
This video shows the Galop Quadrille - it takes a little longer to teach, but well worth it! It is many of the dancer's favorite called dances. (view on YouTube) While these videos aren't from the Triangle Vintage Dance Victorian Ball, they show some of the other country dances that are often a part of the evening's festivities. This is a clip of the Spanish Waltz (view on YouTube) This is a clip of the Virginia Reel (view on YouTube) |
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