on with the dance! let joy be unconfined; no sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet. Lord Byron
it was my first victorian ball. the muffled sounds of ladies' melodious laughter, stifled squeals, and the rustling of cascading folds of satin skirts mingled about the room, while quiet "pardon me's" from shy gents were whispered occasionally if one "inconveniently" happened to collide with one of the blushing maidens. each surrounding young lady appeared to have another linked with her arm, and the clusters consisting of lace frills and satin ruffles reminded me of chrysanthemums in full bloom. the anticipated whisper rippled through the crowd, "the dancing is starting!" and soon the gymnasium was transformed into "fairyland" as miss fairfax would describe. a handsome young gentleman, unknown to my acquaintance, extended his gloved palm toward me and as soon as the first notes of music filled the room, a night of reels, quadrilles, waltzes, and polkas had begun.
grand march, soldier's joy, gay gordon, virginian reel, waves of tory, spanish waltz, rip and snort, polka - the evening was filled with much california twirling, promenading, whirling, breathless laughing, and merry-making as we danced atop the late hours on feet that never felt like they touched the ground. the shutters that dared to capture the magic, caught raw moments blurred with movement and faces that were beaming with laughter. 'twas an unforgettable night that will forever be imprinted within my mind.
cloud nine is a beautiful place, dear reader, as long as one is prepared for sore feet the next morn. wink
lovingly,
the girl dancing in her garden.
postscript :: my daddy is the best chaperon one could ever ask for. ;)
I went to my first ball just this past January and everything about it was absolutely perfect. your dress is so darling! ah, there should be more balls and more often =)
ReplyDeleteYou are so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAh, I love balls! They happen so rarely these days, that when I get the opportunity, I practically drink it up. :)
ReplyDeleteGrace, your dress is stunning. Did you make it? <3
hugs,
~Bree
I know!!! The sweet lady who has been calling/hosting these balls has been doing so for years, but this was my first opportunity to be able to attend. Dancing is such a rare occasion these days - suppose because people who have never tried before are a bit reluctant about the whole idea, but people who haven't tried really don't know what they are missing. *smile*
DeleteUnfortunately, I am not very talented with the whole concept of sewing clothing yet, thus the dress I wore the other night is a rental. *smile*
xoxo | grace, the keeper of the garden
That looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteOnce a year my church hosts a week long conference. Every night we get to dance stuff like the Gay Gordon and the Virginia Reel! I can't wait to go this year! I love dancing, especially in poufy skirts :)
Btw, your dress is gorgeous. It suits you beautifully :)
Oh, Grace, it looks absolutely amazing! It looks like an absolutely magical night :) I would love to do something like this sometime :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a great time!
-mal :)
It looks like you had a lovely night. I have only danced once in my life and I was terrible at it, (clumsy me), but it was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been so much fun! You look beautiful in your dress, Grace! Dancing is so much fun. :D
ReplyDelete"Fairyland! It's nothing less than Fairyland!" :)
ReplyDeleteMorgan is sitting in my lap and we are both squealing our heads off at your luck! Can we fly out there pronto the next time you have a ball planned?
ReplyDeleteReally, you are such a beautiful goose and looked stunning in that dress. I am so glad to have gotten to seen you in it ;-) And darling, come and be a dear and manage my hair like yours. I would die if I could have hair like that. (Morgan agrees entirely)
Love you!
--
p.s. guess what? we got baby ducklings a couple days ago and I had to think about you being my sister of a feather. *grings*
Yes, dear, oh yes!!! Please do!!! The next one, I believe, is to be hosted in June {nothing as lovely as dancing on a June evening} and I can do up your hair in twists and curls and weave roses in your plait. ;)
DeleteYou're such a dear. Thank you, sweet friend, for your compliments! *hugs*
p.s. a turkey tending a flock of ducklings? now that makes for an interesting picture. *chuckle* well, they are very lucky to have you as their ducky. sorry couldn't resist. *sheepish grin* xoxo
OH, my goodness, Miss Grace!
ReplyDeleteYou look absolutely stunning! If I walked into that ballroom without having known anyone there (including you) I would easily admit that you looked the finest and prettiest of them all!
I wish I could have been there with you. ;)
Oh, and the description at the beginning was beautiful and poignant and perfect.
Hugs from England!
Acacia
Oh, how lovely! Your dress is so beautiful, too! Looks like a wonderful evening.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful night... {cloud nine is such a lovely place to be!}... to spend the hours stepping into a different time, to laugh to your heart's content, twirl until you can't see straight, and gasp for breathe at the end of the dance, wishing you could do it all over again. Your recollection of this sweet night reminds me of our own balls... yet here in the south we call it them a Hoe down. {Not as quaint sounding, but still loads of fun!} We don on our long and flowy circle skirts, pull on our boots {though after the first dance, everyone goes barefoot ;) } and then spend the hours in a breeze of joy and bliss. "Virginia Reel"... that dance is one of my favorites {Isn't it such fun?} and one which I could do over and over again. And sore feet? Oh, they are so worth it, and are but a trifling trouble. They remind you of that time you spent on cloud nine. ;)
ReplyDeleteI do apologize for my rambling... I suppose this is something I love as well, and can't help but share about it! You looked simply love in your beautiful dress, dear Grace, and I rejoice with you in that your night was one of sweet memories.
*hugs*
~Shannon~
{www.brightlight412.blogspot.com}
That looks like so much fun! A few years ago I danced the "Virginia Reel" and had the time of my life. Oh what fun! You look simply amazing =)
ReplyDeleteThat looks like lots of fun :D Last november I went to a square dance and it was great fun!
ReplyDelete