Attending a Ball in Vienna
Though the art of social dance is a tradition forgotten by many, in Vienna, ball season is alive and well.
Every year, more than 300 grand balls are held. Ladies and gentlemen in gowns and black tie assemble to waltz, see, and be seen in some of Austria's finest venues, including the Imperial Palace. I had the pleasure of attending once such ball this year, The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, held annually at said location with a guest list of over 5,000.
The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, like most balls in Vienna, is open to the public. Just as every child in Vienna is taught social dance as a school requirement, every single person in Austria is eligible to attend most balls, simply by buying a ticket. Table seating and drinks come at an additional cost, as do carriage rides, fabulous dresses and other associated expenditures, but in Vienna, you'd be a fool not to attend at least one of these important societal gatherings each year -- and if you're a tourist, it's an experience you will never, never forget.
A typical ball evening begins with dinner, as one must prep for a late night of dancing. Then, most guests head to the ball venue around 7:30 PM to see the opening ceremony -- though I'm told "professional" ball goers, or people who've been attending several balls per week for years, tend to skip the ceremony and arrive at 11 or so when the real "party" starts. Depending on which ball it is, the ceremony may be less or more lavish. The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball included not only singing, dancing, and speeches by dignitaries and, of course, coffeehouse owners, but a presentation by Austria's most accomplished debutantes, who must apply and audition for a coveted debut slot at one of the larger balls.
Once the ceremonies are completed, the ball begins. At the Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, Austria's etiquette expert, announces "Alles walzer!" or "Everyone waltz!" -- and that they do.
After the announcement at the Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, the sprawling Imperial Palace was filled with dancers in the throes of every kind of dance from waltz to salsa and even the modern ... well, whatever it is we do now. Hors d'oeuvres, oysters and drinks were available everywhere. There wasn't a room in the palace where you couldn't hear music.
Viennese balls typically continue this way until the end of the evening, usually 4:00 AM or later. In the early wee hours, the doors are staffed with gift distributors, as it is customary for ladies to receive a gift as they exit the ball. After that, Viennese cafes are stuffed with ball attendees in full ball regalia eating goulash and drinking beer and enjoying the remains of the dark hours. Some ballgoers can be seen wandering the streets with half undone hair and gowns until about noon the next day. This is totally normal for Vienna.
If you are interested in attending a Viennese ball yourself, the first thing you need to do is brush up your dancing skills. Fortunately, Elmayer's studio and other studios in Vienna offer drop-in classes for tourists. Any hotel can provide you with information for a local waltzing class. I should add that: even if you think you can waltz, the Viennese Waltz is 60 beats per minute, which is very fast. A 58 euro class at Elmayer (or preferably two, over two days) is definitely advisable. Also, if you're in town with a stick-in-the-mud who doesn't want to dance, it's possible to hire a dance partner for the evening -- but you will be carefully vetted to make sure your intentions are squeaky clean. Another dance lesson option is Rueff; very easy for travelers as you need no reservation. Open classes at Rueff are from 4-5 PM Monday through Friday and cost 23 euros per person.
You can find a list of Vienna's most prominent public balls here (or search "balls" at vienna.info), I would encourage anyone to attend at least one in their lifetime, as the experience is truly unforgettable. See more pics of my night at The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball and after-hours at the Landtmann in the gallery below.
My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.
Every year, more than 300 grand balls are held. Ladies and gentlemen in gowns and black tie assemble to waltz, see, and be seen in some of Austria's finest venues, including the Imperial Palace. I had the pleasure of attending once such ball this year, The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, held annually at said location with a guest list of over 5,000.
The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, like most balls in Vienna, is open to the public. Just as every child in Vienna is taught social dance as a school requirement, every single person in Austria is eligible to attend most balls, simply by buying a ticket. Table seating and drinks come at an additional cost, as do carriage rides, fabulous dresses and other associated expenditures, but in Vienna, you'd be a fool not to attend at least one of these important societal gatherings each year -- and if you're a tourist, it's an experience you will never, never forget.
A typical ball evening begins with dinner, as one must prep for a late night of dancing. Then, most guests head to the ball venue around 7:30 PM to see the opening ceremony -- though I'm told "professional" ball goers, or people who've been attending several balls per week for years, tend to skip the ceremony and arrive at 11 or so when the real "party" starts. Depending on which ball it is, the ceremony may be less or more lavish. The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball included not only singing, dancing, and speeches by dignitaries and, of course, coffeehouse owners, but a presentation by Austria's most accomplished debutantes, who must apply and audition for a coveted debut slot at one of the larger balls.
Once the ceremonies are completed, the ball begins. At the Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, Austria's etiquette expert, announces "Alles walzer!" or "Everyone waltz!" -- and that they do.
After the announcement at the Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, the sprawling Imperial Palace was filled with dancers in the throes of every kind of dance from waltz to salsa and even the modern ... well, whatever it is we do now. Hors d'oeuvres, oysters and drinks were available everywhere. There wasn't a room in the palace where you couldn't hear music.
Viennese balls typically continue this way until the end of the evening, usually 4:00 AM or later. In the early wee hours, the doors are staffed with gift distributors, as it is customary for ladies to receive a gift as they exit the ball. After that, Viennese cafes are stuffed with ball attendees in full ball regalia eating goulash and drinking beer and enjoying the remains of the dark hours. Some ballgoers can be seen wandering the streets with half undone hair and gowns until about noon the next day. This is totally normal for Vienna.
If you are interested in attending a Viennese ball yourself, the first thing you need to do is brush up your dancing skills. Fortunately, Elmayer's studio and other studios in Vienna offer drop-in classes for tourists. Any hotel can provide you with information for a local waltzing class. I should add that: even if you think you can waltz, the Viennese Waltz is 60 beats per minute, which is very fast. A 58 euro class at Elmayer (or preferably two, over two days) is definitely advisable. Also, if you're in town with a stick-in-the-mud who doesn't want to dance, it's possible to hire a dance partner for the evening -- but you will be carefully vetted to make sure your intentions are squeaky clean. Another dance lesson option is Rueff; very easy for travelers as you need no reservation. Open classes at Rueff are from 4-5 PM Monday through Friday and cost 23 euros per person.
You can find a list of Vienna's most prominent public balls here (or search "balls" at vienna.info), I would encourage anyone to attend at least one in their lifetime, as the experience is truly unforgettable. See more pics of my night at The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball and after-hours at the Landtmann in the gallery below.
My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Magrid Kaylan Feb 26th 2010 4:09PM
I loved your articles on the Tafelspitz and the ball at the Hofburg stables, being Austrian myself, and remebered many a winter night spent dancing into the morning hours at one ball or another when I was a student in Vienna. Going home in a cab, if there was a partner who had the wherewithal for one, you could start giving in to your weariness in the back of the taxi until you were deposited at your door and then sink into oblivion as soon as you hit the feathers. If both of you were penniless students you might have had to take the tram home, less comfortable, a lot colder and its shaking surely kept you wide awake for the duration, but at least the ride was free for students in those days.
Annie Scott Feb 26th 2010 4:12PM
What a lovely comment. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I didn't know the trams used to be free for students! I bet you had a wonderful time, cold or not.
Magrid Kaylan Feb 28th 2010 12:55PM
Thank you. It seems I cannot stop reminiscing. You mention that students in Austrian schools get dancing classes. In preparation for the 'Maturaball' Austrian high school seniors receive dancing instruction arranged for by the school. The ball is usually scheduled in the fall and so precedes the regular ball season, which gets its real sendoff by the Silvester ball on New Years Eve, the day commonly named so for its patron saint. Contrary to the American prom, the Matura* ball is an occasion in which the senior's family and relatives as well as all the teachers, and in smaller towns probably most of its prominent citizens, participate enthusiastically. It symbolizes the youth's entrance and acceptance into adult society.
* Matura is the common name for the final exams a high school senior must pass at the end of the school year in order to be judged as having achieved his/her maturity.
Annie Scott Mar 1st 2010 8:44AM
Great story! Thanks Magrid!