The Dance Workshop will take place at the Nahant Town Hall, 334 Nahant Road, Saturday March 17 from 7:30 to 8 pm. The instructor will be Ben Bishop, host of the Ball and a member of the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers. He will be teaching the basics of mid Nineteenth Century dance, the level of instruction will be tailored to the needs of the participants.
The Victorian Ball will commence at 8:00pm, at the Town Hall, a beautiful Turn of the Century building. Dressing rooms will be available and the building will be open from 6:30pm for those who wish to change into their finery at the hall. This ball is being set in the 1890's. Come in from the cold and enjoy some waltzes and polkas. Live music will be provided by Spare Parts, Bill Matthiessen, Liz Stell and friend. A few dances will be taught during the Ball including the Nahant Quadrilles and Contra Dances. Formal or semi- formal attire is requested, period attire of the 1860's is encouraged (evening wear, day wear, or costumes appropriate to the theme). Light refreshments will be provided at the intermission.
Do I need to Bring a Partner?
Though a partner of one's own is a help at a ball please don't let the lack of one keep you away. During the ball folks mix and dance with many different partners throughout the evening. We also do not Gender Balance so singles will not be placed on a waiting list. Many singles, both male and female, attend the ball. Proper 19th Century etiquette encourages dancers to dance the first and last dance with the person they came with, but to dance with many different partners during the rest of the evening.
Can I just come and Watch?
The ball is great fun to watch (almost as fun as actually dancing). There is a great view from the Balcony, something of a Busby Berkeley experience during the Quadrilles and Contra Dances. There is no fee for watching but donations are appreciated especially if one wishes to partake in refreshments.
Can I bring my children?
Children are welcome at the ball if they are accompanied by an adult, and are well behaved and supervised during the Ball. Younger children, if they wish to participate in the dancing, and students will be admitted for a reduced fee.
What to wear? (or do I have to wear Victorian clothes?)
The perennial question that confronts one when getting ready for a ball is "What shall I wear?" For our vintage Balls we encourage our patrons to wear period style dress, or dress that is evocative of the period or theme if they wish but modern formal or semi-formal wear is also equally acceptable. Please don't let the lack of period clothing keep you away from the ball. The main thing is for you to come and enjoy the evening. For this Ball a modern full length gown, full enough in the skirt to allow freedom of movement would be just fine. For the Gentlemen a suit and tie is also an acceptable alternative to white tie and tails or a tuxedo. For those who wish to recreate the late Victorian Era (1860's) we have created a guide with illustrations of some of the styles worn during this time, please visit the Fashion Section for detailed information about proper period dress. If you have questions about what to wear don't hesitate to contact us at : e- mail or call Katy at 781-593-3038.
In the 19th Century Nahant was a popular and elegant Summer resort destination for those who wanted to escape the heat of the city. Sadly, the Nahant Hotel burned in 1860; none of Nahant's grand hotels remain today. During the Nahant Ball weekend we are trying to recapture the elegance of Nahant's heyday.
There are few watering-places in the United States more widely known than Nahant. Few strangers come to our metropolis, in the Summer season, without paying it a visit. It is almost like going to sea to visit the extremity of the peninsula, which pushes its bold front far out into the ocean, and breasts the Atlantic surges which dash continuously against its iron base. The brief voyage thither in the steamboat is one of the most delightful trips that can be taken. It gives new life to the feeble frame, to be wafted on the deck of the Nelly Baker, Captain Rowell, from the warm atmosphere of the inner bay to the gloriously cool surface of the open sea, and to see before you the long rocky peninsula dotted with pleasant summer residences, stretching far out from the mainland. But many give the preference to the land route; the drive across the beaches, with a fine level floor of sand for the horses' feet, and the rollers curving in incessantly on the seaward side, rendering it a most delightful excursion. Nahant is by no means an arid waste of rock and sand however. The variety of scenery comprised within its limits is a feature in which it has the advantage of most seaside resorts. Right in the centre of Nahant proper, where the surface sinks into a deep hollow, there is a green oasis of waving trees, and gardens, and flowers, and fruits, which is quite as rural as many a rustic dale a thousand miles away from the seaboard. Hence Nahant has for more than forty years been a favorite resort, and representatives from almost every state in the Union have been found here in the summer season. Hitherto the hotel has always been well patronized, but although well kept by Mr. Drew, it was not extensive enough for the accommodation of the public. Col. Stevens, of the Revere, so soon as he came into possession of it, enlarged and fitted it up throughout in the most sumptuous manner. It now possesses every requirement of comfort and luxury. It is provided with a costly apparatus for warming the apartments, so that now the guests are no longer are no longer obliged to take wing for the city so soon as there is an easterly spell of weather. Thus the season at Nahant begins early and ends late. The house is thronged with company, the table is liberally catered fro, and within doors everything is as agreeable as the scenery is attractive without. Our representation gives a fine view of this pleasant hotel.
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Back to Nahant Ball InformationLast updated: 30 January 2007/csb