Neckties are tied and stockings are donned as the Cravats & Bluestockings prepare for the annual Regency Ball, set to take place this Friday from 7–11 p.m. in the Old Snack Bar.
Senior Audrey Gray, prime minister of the Cravats and Bluestockings, said that the Regency Ball is an annual event that gives students the opportunity to participate in English country dancing, food, and period costumes.
“The ball is always very well attended,” she said. “Each dance is taught by a caller and then practiced before the music is added. Even participants with no dance experience are able to quickly pick up the steps and have an absolutely wonderful time.”
Sophomore Anna Talcott, head of the food preparation, said that the food is based on Regency-era recipes, including cucumber sandwiches, tarts, a tuna bowl, scones, mini quiches, and cheesecakes. The adviser for the group, Assistant Professor of English Lorraine Eadie, said that students should attend the ball because it gives them the opportunity to rediscover the importance of this type of social encounter.
“This ball is devoted to celebrating an era,” Eadie said. “There is a certain formality, a sense of ritual to dancing and to dating.This is a ball that reminds us what significant consequences can result from that one meaningful encounter, that one special dance.”
Besides the ball, the group also hosts events such as the Naval Battle, Christmas Caroling, Cider on the Quad, and the weekly Student–Professor Teas.
