The Gaskell Ball
Encyclopedia
The Gaskell Ball is a bimonthly Victorian
-styled ball
held by Ye Gaskell Occasional Dance Society in Oakland, California
, USA, popular among re-creationists and vintage dance
enthusiasts. The Ball came to be over 25 years ago, as an offshoot of a dance portion of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair held in San Francisco
.
The event is held at Oakland
's Scottish Rite Center on the shore of Lake Merritt
every two months. The event is usually hosted by "The Brass Works" a popular local band. Current admission stands at $20 for the evening, which includes a basic lesson for early attendees and some small potluck refreshments. Dances are taught during a brief course before the ball begins, and include vintage waltz
, schottische
, polka
, mazurka
, and several English country dance
s. Occasionally, groups will form on the sidelines to dance alternate arrangements to the English Country songs; previous examples include Irish four-hand reels
, the Scottish country dance
"Petronella", the Virginia reel
, and various Contra dance
s. Full Victorian dress is not required; the dress code is formalwear, of either the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. A minimum of semi-formal attire is requested by the ball staff. Although seldom exercised, the staff reserves the right to refuse entrance to those who are inappropriately attired. There are occasional performances by local dance troupes during the intermission, however there is no official dance group affiliated with the ball.
The Gaskell Ball is a favorite among dancers from the Stanford, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz social dance circles, and is widely credited for popularizing John Hertz's Congress of Vienna Waltz and Richard Powers
' Bohemian National Polka choreographies. Costumers from around California and notably from the Greater Bay Area Costumer's Guild are known to flock to the event, particularly for the annual Halloween Ball.
. The Gaskell Ball originated in 1979, when the troop playing the Gaskell family at the Charles Dickens Fair decided to hold a ball in her honor. The first ball was held at Mills College
, a women's college in Oakland. In proceeding years it was held at the Veterans' Auditorium in Oakland. In the 1990s the ball outgrew the hall and had to be moved to accommodate the 300-500 visitors that now attend. The Christmas Ball is still one of the most popular events.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
-styled ball
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
held by Ye Gaskell Occasional Dance Society in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, USA, popular among re-creationists and vintage dance
Vintage dance
Vintage dance is the authentic recreation of historical dance styles. The term is also used specifically to denote re-creation of the dances of the English Regency , American Civil War , Victorian, and Ragtime eras....
enthusiasts. The Ball came to be over 25 years ago, as an offshoot of a dance portion of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair held in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
The event is held at Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
's Scottish Rite Center on the shore of Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...
every two months. The event is usually hosted by "The Brass Works" a popular local band. Current admission stands at $20 for the evening, which includes a basic lesson for early attendees and some small potluck refreshments. Dances are taught during a brief course before the ball begins, and include vintage waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
, schottische
Schottische
The schottische is a partnered country dance, that apparently originated in Bohemia. It was popular in Victorian era ballrooms as a part of the Bohemian folk-dance craze and left its traces in folk music of countries such as Argentina , Finland , France, Italy, Norway , Portugal and Brazil , Spain ...
, polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
, mazurka
Mazurka
The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
, and several English country dance
English Country Dance
English Country Dance is a form of folk dance. It is a social dance form, which has earliest documented instances in the late 16th century. Queen Elizabeth I of England is noted to have been entertained by "Country Dancing," although the relationship of the dances she saw to the surviving dances of...
s. Occasionally, groups will form on the sidelines to dance alternate arrangements to the English Country songs; previous examples include Irish four-hand reels
Irish dance
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
, the Scottish country dance
Scottish country dance
A Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...
"Petronella", the Virginia reel
Virginia Reel (dance)
The Virginia reel is a folk dance that dates from the 17th century. Though the reel may have its origins in Scottish country dance and the Highland reel, and perhaps have an even earlier influence from an Irish dance called the Rinnce Fada, it is generally considered to be an English country dance...
, and various Contra dance
Contra dance
Contra dance refers to several partnered folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines...
s. Full Victorian dress is not required; the dress code is formalwear, of either the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. A minimum of semi-formal attire is requested by the ball staff. Although seldom exercised, the staff reserves the right to refuse entrance to those who are inappropriately attired. There are occasional performances by local dance troupes during the intermission, however there is no official dance group affiliated with the ball.
The Gaskell Ball is a favorite among dancers from the Stanford, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz social dance circles, and is widely credited for popularizing John Hertz's Congress of Vienna Waltz and Richard Powers
Richard Powers (dance historian)
Richard Powers is an expert in American social dance, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops in Paris, Rome, Prague, London, Venice, Geneva, St. Petersburg and Tokyo as well as across the U.S. and Canada...
' Bohemian National Polka choreographies. Costumers from around California and notably from the Greater Bay Area Costumer's Guild are known to flock to the event, particularly for the annual Halloween Ball.
History
The Gaskell Ball is named for the British writer Elizabeth GaskellElizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson , often referred to simply as Mrs Gaskell, was a British novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era...
. The Gaskell Ball originated in 1979, when the troop playing the Gaskell family at the Charles Dickens Fair decided to hold a ball in her honor. The first ball was held at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, a women's college in Oakland. In proceeding years it was held at the Veterans' Auditorium in Oakland. In the 1990s the ball outgrew the hall and had to be moved to accommodate the 300-500 visitors that now attend. The Christmas Ball is still one of the most popular events.