Welcome to the Footwork & Frolick Society: we are a non-profit organization focused on 18th and 19th century dancing and amusements of all kinds. Our mission is to foster historical education through the research, recreation, performance, and instruction of 18th and 19th century dance and other active pursuits rooted in the social traditions of the American Northeast.

A group of people in 19th century clothing standing near a pair of horses attached to a sleigh during a snowstorm.
two long lines of people give right hands to each other as they move through a dance in an old ballroom
A large green lawn with a pink gothic revival house in the background. Scattered throughout the lawn are people in Bridgerton-inspired clothes playing croquet.
A group of people ice skating on a frozen pond in 19th century winter clothing
A group of people dressed in formalwear performing set dances in a small elegant hall.
two people in 1860s dresses are ducking under the arched hands of a man in an 1860s evening suit and a women in an 1860s dress. They are all smiling and laughing
A group of people in 1830's clothing walking down a forest path
Mid-dance, two lines of people in regency costumes face each other, with a couple holding hands walking up in between the lines

KEY TENETS OF FOOTWORK & FROLICK

Everyone is welcome

New England has had diverse inhabitants for centuries, and learning about our local past should be inclusive. Everyone is welcome in F&F modern historical spaces regardless of race, religion, gender identity or presentation. Our work is intended to make learning about dancing and movement in the past engaging and fun - not to mythologize the “old days”. We do not tolerate bigotry in our spaces.

black and white image of four hands clasped in a windmill formation, seen from underneath.

History in Context

With over 30 years of collective experience, our executive team researches and reconstructs our activities from period sources. Part of a deep study of history is looking at the surrounding context of individual elements of the past. In our classes, we strive to contextualize the material we teach so that attendees walk away with an expanded understanding of the period - and have a lot of fun!

a group of women in 1890s ballgowns and tiaras walk in a circle while holding hands

Sense of Place

F&F Society is a non-profit organization based in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and we focus on pastimes popular in the American Northeast. We strive to recreate these activities in their natural environment: buildings and other locations created during the time period when these pastimes were common. We believe this connection to place connects us more deeply to the past.

a woman in an 1830s dress stands at the base of a tall tree in a large, mature forest

Subscribe to our “Society Pages” for updates - we hope to see you soon!

JOIN US

Featured
Yuletide Ball
Dec 7
Yuletide Ball

In 19th century New England, the darkness of midwinter was kept at bay with firelight, song, stories, and dancing. Join Footwork & Frolick to bring that tradition to GrotonFest Winter with a ball full of holiday spirit and beginner-friendly dances!

Blowing Out the Lamps: A Celebration at the Mills
Mar 22
Blowing Out the Lamps: A Celebration at the Mills

Join Footwork & Frolick for an evening of 1830s-1850s dancing in the spirit of the Lowell mill workers in one of the original mills! More details and tickets to come.