Harvest Ball 2013


jwg
Harvest Ball 2013
November 10th, 2013: Every year our gender free contra dance in Jamaica Plain has a gala event called the Harvest Ball. There most people dress up - men often in tuxes. Robert rsc and I usually wear lovely dresses.

The Harvest Ball (the 16th annual) opens with an elegant candle-lit pot luck dinner in the dance hall (Parish hall of the church where we dance). Our contribution was a scallop ceviche. There were about 90 people there with a huge array of delicious food. Then after putting away the tables and chairs we continue to socialize and dance - mostly early dances. Chris Ricciotti, the Quuen Mum (and founder of this dance series - 25th anniversary in December), was the caller and MC; the music as usual was by the band Spare Parts (piano, fiddle, flute). There was a dessert potluck at the break with many too many possibilities and then more dancing.

Photo by Spike Dean
Tags: contra dance, tradition

12 comments — :

( 12 comments — Leave a comment )

susandennis

2013-11-10 05:42 pm (UTC)

Great photo - I always love your dress up pictures and your party sounds like so much fun!

mrdreamjeans

2013-11-10 10:12 pm (UTC)

Simple, but elegant lines in the dresses. However, are those black socks? What, no stockings? :)

rsc

2013-11-11 03:31 pm (UTC)

Yes. Our costuming generally ends at the ankles; I want my feet to be comfortable for dancing.

mrdreamjeans

2013-11-11 11:50 pm (UTC)

Thats certainly understandable! :)

thnidu

2013-11-11 03:24 am (UTC)

Sounds like you had a lot of fun!

Momentary Huh?: "cancel-lit"

rsc

2013-11-11 03:29 pm (UTC)

Yeah, I keep telling him he needs a proof-reader.

maxauburn

2013-11-11 03:29 am (UTC)

What a lovely couple! :)

rsc

2013-11-11 03:32 pm (UTC)

One thing that this (and other similar) photos doesn't show is that the red dress (silk, by the way) has a subtle woven-in paisley pattern.

trawnapanda

2013-11-11 06:32 pm (UTC)

faaabulous outfits, but how did you manage to dance with that lovely gold clutch? when I was being Pearl Choker, I was forced (FORCED!) to do without a handbag(*) because you need both hands to square dance, my frock was quite clingy so stuffing it into my bazoom (or other areas) was just ASKING for trouble, and with ropes and ropes of pearls (as befitted my name) I didn't want a bag with an over-the-shoulder handle. In the event, a sensible dyke (wearing jeans) took custody of my wallet for the evening, but I wonder about your arrangements.

(*)cue Lady Bracknell

jwg

2013-11-11 08:16 pm (UTC)

I danced one or two dances with the bag. They were the sort where I could keep switching back from one had to another but I soon abandoned it.

jwg

2013-11-11 08:17 pm (UTC)

And no, I am not a veteran. This was my ROTC uniform at MIT.