Prepare
for the big night.
I tend to teach classes geared toward preparing for a ball. I teach only
beginners because they're the only group I like to work with. People who
can't dance but want to are not only a challenge but the most fun for
me because they're the ones who make the most progress and you see the
most joy from. They walk in saying, "Oh, I'm not going to have a
good time; I'm just always clumsy with two left feet." I guarantee
they will leave dancing.
Let yourself
get swept away. When we have balls, we encourage people to
come in some kind of period dress, but we certainly don't require it.
I would never want someone to not come to a ball because they didn't feel
like they would fit in. We also tend to do some things like going for
the lovely period accessory of the ball card, when a gentleman and a lady
exchange cards and reserve a dance for later in the evening.
You don't
have to be a particular physical type. We're talking about
historical dance, dance everyone would have done. I suppose you're either
too old or too young at some point. But it's dance for everyone, so we
have a broad range of body types.
And no research
is necessary. Just show up, though you might want to check
out the movie "The Age of Innocence." It was beautifully choreographed
by Susan Aldrich of the Library of Congress. She was my teacher and mentor.
UC alum Steve Percer is artistic director of
Forget Me Not Dance Co., which is based in Cincinnati and has been featured
in the Civil War miniseries "North and South." The company toured
Italy last summer and won a special award at the Dance Grande Prix in
Cesana for preserving historical dance.
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