01/12/08
By Dawn Haas Rhude

Victorian Dance

“In the nineteenth century, dance was the foremost means of entertainment. People worked long hours every day except the Sabbath, and breaks were few and far between. When leisure time arrived, folks dropped their work, gathered up some musicians, and set up a dance. Whether it was the elegant grand ball or the local barn dance, it was special, and people would come from miles around for the "hoe-down."

Typically, the dance began around sundown on Saturday, after the chores were all done, with the Grand March and the first waltz. Music would continue until around midnight when the revelers would break for supper. After eating a sumptuous meal, followed by sweets, and washed down with the libation of choice, it was back to the dance floor until dawn. Finally, the strains of the last waltz would echo into the hills just in time for folks to pack up the buggy and get to the Sunday morning church meeting.”

Midwinter Mourning is a book written about Boyertown in the early 1900’s. On the topic of entertainment it describes how masquerade balls were a popular choice. Young people attended

 dance classes with a dance teacher by the name of Professor Drexel in the auditorium of The Friendship Hook and Ladder Company. They would also hold masquerade balls there. While our town commemorates the tragedy of The Opera House fire, let us heal ourselves with a leisure activity our ancestors enjoyed. On February 15, 2008, Miracles In Motion Dance School will sponsor a Victorian Masquerade Ball at The Friendship Hook and Ladder Fire Company Friendship Hall, located at the intersection of South Reading Avenue and 3^rd Street in Boyertown. For a ticket price of $10 per person, enjoy dancing, hot hor d’oeuvres, snacks and punch. A cash bar will be open if cocktails are desired. Festivities are from 7:30 till 10:30 pm. The attire for the evening is Victorian style, and because it is a masquerade ball, a mask will add to the fun. (Mask is optional). Zachary Reinert of WZAR Productions will provide recorded music of the era, along with contemporary dance music. A simple Victorian dance lesson will be offered to anyone who wishes to participate. The recommended age for ball attendees is teen and over.

For more information on “Masquerade Ball 1908 in 2008”, or to purchase tickets, contact Miracles In Motion Dance School at 610-367-8022. The cutoff point for tickets purchases is February 7.

Victorian Dance is article #4 in the series “In The Spirit of The Performing Arts”.

About the Author: Dawn Haas-Rhude is owner and director of Miracles In Motion Dance School, Founder and director of The Boyertown Community Ballet Company, Interim Director of Limelight Productions and has more than 30 years of experience in dance and performing arts.

Bibliography

• Schneider, Mary Jane: Midwinter Mourning, MJS Publications, Boyertown, PA; 1991

Other Source

• Quote from www.company-q.com/coq_dances.htm