We Make History: The 2010 Old Virginia Ball

The Old Virginia Ball

Virginia, the birthplace of America!

With a centuries' old tradition of friendly hospitality is it any wonder then that “The Old Dominion” as she is fondly known has a longstanding reputation among her sister states as the leader in grace, manners, hospitality and gentility?

The 2010 Old Virginia Ball will be our 5th We Make History Historic Ball in Virginia. Let us gather, celebrate and enjoy the graces that have made the name Virginia a name of renown!

What to Expect: Be prepared to step back in time to Old Virginia as we travel a colourful path together, exploring the music, dance and fashions of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries! Light refreshments will be served.

When: The evening of Saturday, June 5th, 2010 a social hour shall begin at 5 in the evening. The Ball shall commence at 6 and end about 10. This will give those driving from a distance the opportunity to get home at a reasonable hour.

Where: "The Great Falls Grange" is a very pretty historic structure located at 9818 Georgetown Pike in the beautiful town of Great Falls in Fairfax County, Virginia. "The Great Falls Grange" has just the right ambience for our Old Virginia Ball with a main level for dancing and a lower level for socializing - all in the midst of a scenic, verdant setting.

Music & Dance: Expect live musicians treating us to three centuries of historic tunes. We shall teach you some of the simple but very enjoyable dances which were beloved by our ancestors. Don't worry, we are very "first-timer-friendly" and you will be enjoying yourself in no time! We will utilize simple but historic dances of the Colonial, Regency and Civil War eras - some lively, some stately - instructing and teaching as we go. We'll even have a few of our friendly veteran members of the We Make History Family of Arizona along with us to help.

Fashion: We recommend historic attire as per one of the following eras ranging from 1607-1865:

Jamestown and Early Virginia 1607-1699: Virginia's first century was during the reign of the House of Stuart. Think of the Jacobean era, the English Civil War and the Restoration and Baroque Periods.

Williamsburg, Colonial Virginia & The American Revolution 1700s: Virginia grew, prospered and fought for Independence. Think of Georgian fashions; ornate gowns, wigs, tricorn hats and buckled shoes.

The Regency or Federal Period 1795-1825: Known to the English as "Regency" to the French as "Empire" and to Americans as "Federal" this period saw long, high-waited gowns for ladies and the advent of tailcoats and top hats for men. During this period, four of the first five Presidents of the United States came from Virginia!

The Antebellum Period and The War Between the States 1850-1865: Hoopskirts were the rage as ladies glided past in mounds of silk past bowing gentlemen with a sense of chivalry, determined if necessary to defend Virginia and Virginia's ladies against near-impossible odds.

Or.... Modern evening or business attire is also welcome such as long dresses for ladies and tuxes, suits (or at least jacket, slacks and tie) for gentlemen. Appropriate footwear for a fine occasion is expected for both genders.

(Regarding historic attire, We Make History emphasizes the historic social graces of ladies and gentlemen rather than "stitch counting". Ladies and gentlemen were expected to exemplify character qualities such as courtesy, respect, grace and a desire to uplift and encourage. Thus we are sincerely welcoming of all attempts at recreating historic attire or an historic look. :o) ... And YES, you are also VERY WELCOME to come participate, dance and enjoy in nice modern clothes!)

Ages: As per common historic standards ages 13 and up are welcome. Younger persons from 8 to 12 are also very welcome if their parents judge them to be of sufficient maturity. (Our experience suggests that some from ages eight to twelve are socially mature and have sufficient manners, focus and interest while others are not quite ready socially or not quite large enough to interact physically. Remember that historic dances of these eras are social dances and that it is necessary for every dancer to focus, comprehend and maintain their place in the dance while interacting with others!)

Passes: This event will fill up in advance as we are planning to offer a maximum of only 100 passes. This will allow for a friendly and intimate evening of historic fashion, manners and dance (and an opportunity to build upon our fast-growing list of new friends and acquaintances in Virginia) for which we request a donation in advance of $25 each. You may mail a check (made out to We Make History) with your name, address, email address and an explanatory note to We Make History, P.O. Box 12874, Scottsdale, Arizona 85267. Alternatively you make use of the PayPal link below.

Please note that a small additional fee applies to PayPal transactions to cover PayPal expenses, postage, etc.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Please do reserve your place as soon as possible.

Requests for advance passes must be received no later than Friday, May 21st or when the event is full, whichever may come first. Your passes will be mailed to you.

For Families of five or more we would be pleased with a contribution of only $20 each - but only by mail please - and by May 21st or when the event is full, whichever may come first.

Communications: Send us a note here to begin receiving Virginia related We Make History updates!

Historic Fashion Links (Click on any picture.)

We Make History Links

The We Make History Main Page We Make History Virginia Learn More About We Make History Historic Support Etiquette & Expectations Historic Portrayals

The 1st Virginia Infantry - Recruiting Now!

Email Us Regarding this Ball

House Standards for "We Make History" Balls

We are grateful to our wonderful guests who make the effort with us to create a special ambience and atmosphere of respect. We uphold these standards out of regard for our much-appreciated friends and for the sake of the integrity of our events.

1. The use of either tobacco or alcohol is prohibited.

2. Videotaping is not welcome other than by our house videographer. We work hard to create a special and comfortable historic ambience that all will enjoy. Discreet photography is welcome but please leave video equipment at home.

3. No unauthorized distribution of literature is allowed. Nor is this event an opportunity to recruit persons for purposes either modern or historical. Please allow all of our guests to enjoy the evening in peace. That is why they came.

4. These are historic balls and we ask that even those dressed modern conform to certain historic standards. All clothed in modern attire must be at least at an "evening" or semi-formal level. Modern gentlemen need to be wearing tuxes, suits or at least jacket and slacks. As per historic standards, jackets and ties need to be on at all times. Modern ladies should wear long gowns, preferably at or near ankle length - not short dresses or skirts and blouses.

5. Appropriate footwear is required. (i.e. historic footwear, dress shoes, dancing slippers, ballet flats, etc.) Please no sandals, flip-flops or athletic shoes. For the sake of your safety as well as event ambience dancing barefoot is impermissible.

6. We ask that one not enter to be an observer, chaperone or curiosity seeker without obtaining a pass and being properly attired.

7. Please either order advance tickets by the publicized cut-off date (in time to be mailed back to you) or be prepared to obtain your tickets at the door (if available) for a higher amount. These events are publicized far in advance in order to serve you well. They do sometimes fill up early.

8. We do not offer refunds or exchanges.

9. Our standard age policy is that ages 13 and up are welcome to participate and that younger ages (generally 8 to 12) may also participate if parents deem them to be sufficient in manners and maturity. The dress standards for young ladies and gentlemen are the same as those for adults. (Please see #4 above.)

10. Gracious and respectful conduct & conversation are expected of all, to all and at all times.

11. We desire to be good stewards of the facilities we use, to treat them with care and to leave them in at least as good of condition as when we arrived.

12. For the good of all, any who might consider themselves exempt from any of the above may be asked to leave.

Please also see our “Etiquette & Expectations” page as well as our "All About Us" page.