Ball

This Guide is intended for Faire Stewards and Ball Coordinators to assist them in organising the Ball at Canterbury Faire. While not a compulsory event on the Faire schedule, the Ball is a Marquee event much looked forward to, and for many people it is a highlight of their Faire activities.

Ball Coordinator

The Steward must be prepared to recruit a Ball Coordinator quite early in the pre-event planning process, as a successful Ball often requires considerable lead-in time for the participants. Musicians and dancers need time to learn and practice music and dances, particularly if some of the dances are not part of their usual repertoire. Stewards should consider giving the Coordinator a small budget for materials, particularly the printing of dance handbooks and lists for participants.

Scheduling

The Ball is a Marquee event on the Faire schedule, so it should not clash with any other major evening event. Hence the Ball should be amongst the major events that the Steward places on the schedule first. Recent Faires have sought to place the Ball on an evening later in the event (such as the Friday) in order for dancers and musicians to have tie for practice, but there is no hard and fast rule. Note that the Ball is usually quite lengthy, going very late into the evening, so scheduling something 'after the Ball' often doesn't really work.

Other items the Coordinator should work into the Faire schedule: practice times for the band (this should be early in the event, so the band has time to figure out musical arrangements), and dance practices for Faire attendees wishing to brush up on their dance steps.

The Ball List

Early on in the planning process, the Ball coordinator must work out the list of dances planned. This should be set in coordination with local dance teachers, and ideally in consultation with dance teachers around the Crescent Isles. Dancers must have time to practice the dances on the list, so this must happen well before Faire - the first week of November is recommended. This is particularly important if some of the dances are obscure, complex, or rarely danced. This list should be communicated to relevant email lists and Facebook groups (Southron Gaard, Crescent Isles, various Hamlets), and be linked to the Ball schedule on the Faire webpage.

It has become customary for the coordinator to put together small 'cheat sheet' booklets of the steps necessary for each dance. While not a required element, they are very useful to many attendees, and are often taken away as souvenirs of the event, and as guidebooks for learning dances in their own right.

Choosing Dances for the Ball List

The selection of dances for the Ball list is a process requiring some thought in itself. There are several factors to consider:

• How many sets? The Ball is usually structured as having 3-5 'sets' of dances, with breaks in between for entertainments, the supper, and the tassel-kicking competition.
• Theme: Does this Faire have an overall theme, and are there dances/sets which could fit this theme?
• Difficulty level: Ball coordinators usually aim to create a list of variable difficulty for the Ball, so that there are a sufficient number of easy dancers that inexperienced dancers can participate in, and some challenging dances that the experts can really sink their teeth into. In the past some lists have ordered their sets by difficulty level, with easy dances in the first one or two sets, and more difficult dances at the end. However recent experience has shown that this results in people leaving as soon as the dances step above their level of expertise, and to retain people through the full length of the ball it is better to intersperse the easy and difficult dances throughout all the sets, so everyone can look at each set and see something that catches their interest.
• In- or Out- of Period: The Ball is usually seen as an in-Period experience, so Out-of-Period dances such as Saracens Branscle, Saltarello, Hole in the Wall, or Korobushka are usually not included. Coordinators keen on seeing these dances performed should consider them for the Peasant's Dance event.

Music

As one of Lochac's premier dance event, it is greatly preferred for the Ball to be set to live music - the coordinator must at least attempt to assemble a band of musicians willing to play the music. This requires some pre-event publicity calling for musicians to attend and bring their instruments, and the communication of music to these musicians so they can practice beforehand.

Ball Setup

The Coordinator will need several helpers to set up the Great Hall for the Ball, usually starting immediately after dinner. Tables are usually stacked and set to the side (or outside if the weather is ok), and the room is lined with chairs. The band will have their own space set up to their own liking - be prepared to assist them. Often the Crown will wish to attend, so be prepared to recruit a crew for the transport and setup of thrones etc.

The Ball Supper

It is customary for a light supper to be served as part of the Ball, usually mid-Ball between sets. Menus for this can vary widely depending on the cooks. It is highly recommended that lots of cold drinks/water be provided,as dancing can require physical exertion and rehydration can be important.