Social_Customs-Balls

**The Victorian Ball 2- //The Sequel//**


media type="file" key="ACDC - Big Balls.mp3" AC/DC- "Big Balls"

In Austen's novel __Pride and Prejudice__, social balls were an important social more. Balls were considered necessary because they represented a woman's eligibility to be married. Because marriage was considered the sole duty of a young lady, attending and dancing at balls were a must. Men expressed their interest towards a woman by dancing with her when the first song was played or by dancing with her several times. For example, Mrs. Bennet was thrilled that Mr. Bingley, a most-wanted bachelor, danced with Jane, Mrs. Bennet's daughter twice. She said, "Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Everybody said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice!" Additionally, not dancing at balls was considered morally repugnant. Exemplifying this was Mr. Darcy. Because he refused to dance, the neighborhood developed a negative point of view towards him.



__Time and Manner of Arrival:__
Guests at a ball were not required to show up immediately; often, the host or hostess would spend the first hour of the ball greeting guests who were just arriving. Additionally, guests who arrived late were not looked down upon by the host or hostess or other guests of the ball. In fact, it was actually considered fashonable to arrive late (hence, "fashonably late"). Married women would arrive with their husbands, while unmarried women would arrive with an escort or their mothers. (Hunt, Wells)

__Invitations:__
Invitations to balls were generally sent out at least ten days in advance. This was done in order to allow guests time to respond as well as allow time to prepare for the event. It was necessary to give this long amount of time to get ready, as looking your best at the ball was of utmost importance. While it was not considered rude to decline an invitation (though doing so was to be done with great regrets), refusing to respond to the invitation was considered very rude. Guests were urged to respond as soon as possible, preferably within a week of recieving the invitaion, to allow the host or hostess to know the number of people who would be attending the ball. (Hunt, Wells)

__A Woman's Role at a Ball:__
The role a woman had at a ball was just another thing that showed that their rights were limited during this time period. A lot of pressure was put on external appearance, and a woman faced the difficulty of making sure she looked like a suitable partner for a bachelor. A great deal of importance were put on these social events, and this epitomizes the amount of time spent focusing on appearance and material possessions during the Victorian Era. For women, marriage was such an important thing that these balls were taken seriously as a man feeling an attraction to a certain lady could mean a future marriage, and therefore a settled life. A woman was obligated to dance with a man if he asked. Socail custom dictated that she could not refuse him unless she had already made an engagement to dance with another man. Furthermore, it was not a woman's place to talk at a ball unless spoken to. This explains Jane and Elizabeth feeling emabarrassed toward their mother's ramblings about the possibility of marrying wealthy at the Netherfield Ball. (Wells)



__Dancing:__
Dancing is a necessity at a Victorian Ball. Not dancing is looked negatively upon. Both women and men are judged a great deal, simply on the way they carry themselves on the dance floor. This is evidenced by the neighborhood's attitude towards Mr. Darcy at the commencement of the novel. Additionally, dancing poorly is a bad reflection on one's persona. Epitomizing this is Elizabeth's advanced dislike after having the displeasure of dancing with the bumbling fool Mr. Collins. Moreover, when dancing, it is important to keep the dance to a simple walk, rather than over-dramatized leaps and jumps. These will draw negaitve attention. (Wells)



__Conduct:__
While dancing, women should be smiling and tilting their head slightly to show an inclination toward their partner. Men, once the dance has terminated, should bow to a woman to express his gratitude. A woman should never cross the dance room unattended. A man should occupy a vacant seat next to a women unless they are aquainted and he has her permission. As you can see, women were held tightly by constraints put on them by men and their families. If a woman did not behave in the proper way, this possibly risked the way a man would view her, which could be devastating if that meant a ruined marriage opportunity. When leaving the dance, one should not disturb the host and hostess. Rather, he or she should pay them a visit later in the week to express their gratitude. (Wells)

__Throwing a Ball:__
As host or hostess, it was imperative that the ball thrown be extravagant. Extravagant balls would attract guests who had several invitations, as it was common to receive up to six invitations for one evening. Each hostess had the goal of attracting as many guests as possible to stay as late as possible as evidence of a strong social status. In order for a ball to be successful, a band of four or more, "good ventilation, good arrangement, a good floor, good music, a good supper, and good company" were necessary. (Hamilton)

__Citations:__ Hamilton, Melissa. "Balls in Victorian England." __Etiquette at the Ball__. 2001. Romance Ever After. 27 Oct 2007 .

Wells, Richard. "Victorian Dancing Ettiquette." __Manners Culture and Dress of the Best American Society__. King, Richardson &: Co., Publishers. 25 Oct 2007 [|http://www.burrows.com/other/manners.html.]

Hunt, Lana J. "Victorian Ball and Dance." __Towne Victorian__. 2001. Towne's Designs. 28 Oct 2007 http://www.angelfire.com/ar3/townevictorian/victorianball.html