What is Ball (dance)?
A '''ball''' is a formal dance occasion. By formal is meant: people were [[wikt:invitation|invited]], wore their best clothes ('evening attire'), and the ball was held in a splendid '''ballroom'''. In former times everyone danced, but only the [[wealth]]y went to balls. Girls had dance cards: men had to sign up to dance with them. Older people sat around the sides and watched the younger people dance. It was a [[society]] occasion. == Galleria == <gallery> File:Apsley1908 72.jpg|A ball at Apsley House. Shows King [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] and Queen Alexandra dancing a quadrille, 1908. File:The ballroom at Eglinton Castle.JPG|Ball at Eglington Castle 1839 File:Almack's Assembly Rooms inside.jpg|Almack's Assembly Rooms, London, about 1820. File:MardiGrasBall1930sWPA.jpeg|[[Mardi Gras]] Ball, 1930s File:Wedding ball of the Duc de Joyeuse, 1581.JPG|''Wedding ball of the Duc de Joyeause'', 1581. Attributed to Herman van der Mast. File:DarktownStruttersCoverBlossomSeeley.jpg|Sheet music cover File:Ball de tarda.jpg|''Bal de Tarda'' by Ramon Casas i Carbó, 1896 File:William Hogarth 035.jpg|by [[William Hogarth]], 1745 File:Palacio San Martin ballroom.jpg|Palacio San Martín, [[Buenos Aires]] File:The Royal York.jpg|Ballroom of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, [[Toronto]] File:Casa Canals, Tarragona.jpg|Ballroom of the Canals family mansion, [[Tarragona]] File:Catherine Palace ballroom.jpg|The ballroom of the Catherine Palace, near [[St Petersburg]] </gallery> ==Related pages== *[[Ballroom dancing]] [[Category:Dance]] [[Category:Social events]]