Nineteenteen's Fifth Birthday Ball: Wear out your Dancing Slippers!

Have we found our partners? The musicians (did you know Regina hired an orchestra that plays regularly at Carlton House? Shocking expense, but oh so worth it!) are ready to open with a delightful cotillion waltz that offers multiple opportunities for some genteel flirtation...and aren't all the dancers most elegantly attired?:



Now, perhaps a sprightly country dance?



Or another cotillion?



And do check out this last set of dances--held in the Music Room at the Prince Regent's Pavilion in Brighton!



But after a few hours of dancing, it's time to go in for supper. A dance supper is meant to refresh and sustain after all that dancing and impress the guests...oh yes, and be easily served and eaten in a crowded, busy setting. Rather analogous to what we call heavy hors d'oeuvres at an evening event--so, think small cakes, both savory and sweet, thinly sliced meats, individual servings of ices or syllabub like our young lady at right is enjoying, and beverages, from champagne and punches to lemonade. I'm not a big sweets eater, so we have an assortment of cold sliced ham and beef, lobster patties, savory cheese biscuits, jellied sliced chicken, fruit trays, and both whipped syllabub and cherry and pineapple ices. And of course, champagne! This is a birthday ball, after all!

There! Are we ready for more dancing?

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Having too much fun? For your further viewing pleasure, I highly recommend a visit here: http://www.youtube.com/user/fainmusicuk?feature=results_main where there are videos of period dances as well as several demo clips of several figures used in Regency period dancing--an excellent primer! And for general Regency-era listening try this channel on Pandora--the Regency Era Reading Channel!