Behind the Scenes: May Day Ball
Putting together “that species of amusement, commonly known by the name of Balls”* is a labor of love for the members of Footwork & Frolick. Hosting a good ball by the standards of an early 19th century planner include lively music, dancing, decorations, a laden supper table, and good company. Our event attendees provide the good company, but the rest is accomplished by our members and volunteers.
The May Day Ball marked our first ball as a non-profit organization, and we were so pleased by the joy on so many faces throughout the evening. Thanks to the event photography services donated by Lucas Clauser, we just posted a selection of images from the evening to our Facebook and website event pages. Lucas also captured a look at some of the scurrying beforehand that makes events like this possible - so here is a peek behind the scenes at how a ball comes together!
It is a truth universally acknowledged by anyone who has planned an event that event planning requires a lot of…well, planning. In the 19th century, hosts would have needed to answer many of the same questions that we need to answer in 2024: what dancing will there be? to what music? (and perhaps most important) what will we eat?
Our decorations were heavily inspired by the visual world of Bridgerton, but the concept of fresh flowers in the ballroom certainly dates to the 19th century! Where we were able to source false wisteria and ivy to ensure we can re-use our decor for years to come, a period event with greenhouse-grown flowers would have been the height of luxury. After our afternoon workshop ended, members of F&F began a mad scramble to transform the grange hall into a springtime wonderland before ball-goers arrived for the evening’s festivities.
Putting together the dance program for the evening started with discussion of a rough plan: we knew we wanted to focus on simple figures that would be easy to learn in a single day, but that would not be so repetitive that they’d be boring over a 10-15 minute dance. Members worked on reconstructions of new options in addition to dances already in our notes to put together list of possibilities. Then dancers in our April Quadrillion class got to try them out and weigh in on which ones they liked most! The final program reflected dances enjoyed by the company and a little bit of strategy: if you attended did you notice that all of the dances in the first half used a “down, up, and cast” progression, while those in the second half used a “down and up progressed” figure instead?
For refreshments, we took inspiration from early 19th century recipes and menu guides for a “ball-supper” - but unlike in the 1810s, we weren’t planning to serve a full meal at 10pm! So we opted for a selection of treats similar to those that would have been part of a ball table, but intended as a light snack rather than dinner.
In the period, it was common at a fancy dinner for sweet and savory dishes to be served together**. We followed a similar style, with bread and cheese on the buffet alongside meringues and cakes.
As all of the refreshments provided were baked by members of F&F, menu planning was a group effort: each baker shared what they were interested in making, and then we identified any gaps or overlaps to ensure our “ball-supper” table would offer the variety we wanted. Our final menu included a mix of items familiar to a period ball-goer like meringues and those at home on a Bridgerton set like creampuffs. Our punch - another ball staple - was another nod to spring and to our Bridgerton theme with its pink formula. If you’d like to try punch at home, all you need is fresh lemonade and raspberry ginger ale.
Interested in joining us?
If making historical magic sounds like fun, or you’re just interested in seeing how things come about for yourself, we’d love to have you for a future event crew! As we announce new events we will include information about how to volunteer. Volunteers attend the event for free in exchange for their work before and/or after the event itself - and it’s a great way to explore whether you would like to become a Frolicker yourself. For more information, you can email us any time at admin@footworkandfrolick.org.
Sources:
*The nature and tendency of balls : seriously and candidly considered, in two sermons, preached in Medway. Published in Dedham, MA 1819.
**The Housekeeper's Instructor, Or, Universal Family Cook. Published in London, 1805.