You are cordially invited to a storybook evening of late 19th century dancing and whimsical ensembles…

The 19th century was full of fairy tales and fantasy stories, a popular publishing theme across gothic, romantic, and medieval revival artistic periods. From reluctant dragons to frog pond performances, magical festivities dance from the pages…so on October 18th Footwork & Frolick invites you to step into a story with us for a “fancy dress” (aka costume) ball! Taking inspiration from novels like The Princess and the Goblin (1872), and fairy tale collections from The Blue Fairy Book (1889) to The Reluctant Dragon (1898), the evening will feature sweet treats, magical melodies, and beginner-friendly dances from the late 19th century.

Historical costume or costumes inspired by fairy tale and fantasy stories will be admired but not are not required - wear whatever makes you feel elegant and ready to appear amongst the fairy court!

Schedule of Events

3:30 - 5pm: Dance Workshop

6:30pm: Hall Opens

7:00pm - 10:00pm: Ball

As with all of our events, Footwork & Frolick welcomes beginner dancers and others new to historical spaces. Our goal is to create a friendly environment for engaging with historical activities, and all of the dances for the evening are selected with beginners in mind. All dances will be taught, and no partner is required! There will also be a workshop at the Ayer Town Hall on the afternoon of the ball for those who wish to try out the dancing in advance and meet other ball-goers.

Note that at our events we use the terms “lead” and “follow” to refer to the roles in the dance. All dancers are welcome to dance either role regardless of gender identity or presentation, and you’ll often find members of Footwork & Frolick switching between roles throughout the event.

Ticket Information

We will be offering 3 ticket options for this ball: student/new grad, standard, and supporter. As a non-profit, our goal is to keep our events as affordable as possible, so that cost is never the reason you can’t attend. The afternoon workshop tickets can be added on to your ball ticket purchase for an additional $10.

Scholarships: As a non-profit, our mission is to make historical activities accessible to all. Scholarships - which include free attendance at an event or class, sometimes with a guest - are available to anyone who historically has not felt welcome in modern historical spaces or whose financial situation would not otherwise allow them to attend. We especially encourage young, BIPOC, or LGBTQIA folks to apply. Scholarships can be requested through this short form.

What should I wear?

Guests are encouraged to come dressed in whatever feels fancy and elegant. Historical costumes (traditional, fantastical, or fancy dress) will be admired but are certainly not required. We do recommend flat or low heeled shoes, as modern high heels are not conducive to historical dances.

If you attend the afternoon class, you will be able to leave any items or changes of clothes at the hall in between, and you will be able to change in the hall if desired. If you do not attend the class, we ask that you arrive in your ball attire as there is limited changing space at Ayer Town Hall.

Will there be food?

Light refreshments will be served during the ball, but we strongly encourage eating dinner before the ball. Ayer has several lovely restaurants for dinner near the Town Hall at a range of price points.

Can I try the dances before the ball?

We will hold an afternoon workshop at our event venue, the Ayer Town Hall, from 3:30pm - 5pm on the day of the ball. During the workshop we will practice some of the dances from the ball program, and will discuss foundational concepts of Victorian dance that will help you pick up new dances quickly throughout the evening.

For those who would like to spend more time with Victorian dancing, we encourage you to attend Quadrillion! Our Fall session of Saturday beginner classes will focus on late 19th century country dances and quadrilles. As a special series we will also be teaching round (aka couple) dances as a separate session on the same days for those interested. You can attend a single month or purchase a session package for a discounted cost through the link.