A Ball, A Band - Class and History

Kansas State Ball In Dickinson County

by 

Cecilia Harris

Imagine going to a social event where it is considered rude if you always dance with the same person, even if it is your spouse. Those that attended the celebratory balls when Kansas was admitted to statehood on January 29, 1861, believed it their duty to dance with the other guests to ensure everyone attending had a pleasurable evening.

Photos courtesy of Dickinson County Historical Society

Mid-19^th century etiquette and dance steps will be taught at this year’s Kansas Statehood Ball from 7 to 10 p.m. on January 24 in Sterl Hall, Abilene. For the past 20 years, the local ball has been  bringing together people annually from throughout the state to celebrate the birthday of Kansas in this unique and enjoyable way.

“The point is not to become an expert in Victorian dancing, the point is to have fun,” says Robert “Skip” Thomas of Fort Scott. Thomas serves as the preceptor, or social director, of the ball to which all ages – and all social classes - are invited. Back in 1861, the invitation-only gala events held in Topeka, Lawrence and Leavenworth were only for the upper echelon of society and strict social rules applied, including limits on dancing with the same partner.

“You could dance the first and maybe the last dance with your husband or wife, but otherwise you were expected to dance with other people,” Thomas says.

Jeff Sheets, director of the Dickinson County Historical Society that sponsors the modern-day event, says the Abilene ball is a family affair that one year included a birthday party for one enthusiastic youngster.

“The girl’s mother asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said she wanted to go to the Statehood Ball with her friends and learn the dances,” Sheets says. “They brought the kids to the ball and they all enjoyed the dances, especially the Virginia Reel. Even the young gentlemen enjoyed getting out there (on the dance floor); it’s a little different than what they’ve done before, but these are dances anyone can do with instruction from the preceptor.”

Photos courtesy of Dickinson County Historical Society

As preceptor, Thomas leads the participants through the dances, many of which are done in formations of circles, squares or lines and require changing partners often. The first number is the Grand March, in which the dancers parade around the room in simple formations, providing the opportunity to view prospective partners for the rest of the evening’s dances. The Virginia Reel, the Jenny Lind Polka, the flirtatious Hat Dance and the waltz are among the dances that follow.

“At a fancy ball, they had people who were called managers whose job it was to ensure everybody had a good time,” he says. “They were also there to make introductions. Back then, you couldn’t just ask a lady you didn’t know to dance, you had to be introduced. The manager had to decide whether or not the two people were on the same social level, and he had to get the lady’s permission to make the introduction. They had some strict rules.”

Once introduced, the couple would converse for a spell before a proper gentleman asked the lady to dance, Thomas adds.

“She was almost obligated to say yes at that point, but if she said no, she had to give a reason, such as being too tired. However, if she did refuse the gentlemen, she could not then turn around and accept that particular dance from another gentleman, she had to sit that dance out.”

Other proper etiquette included the gentleman leading the lady on and off the dance floor, starting the dance with a bow and a curtsy, and thanking the lady for the honor of dancing with her. The men also had to wear white cotton gloves because skin touching the silk and taffeta dresses worn by the ladies would leave a stain, according to Sheets. In addition, a man’s bare hand touching a woman’s bare arm was not allowed.

However, some things once considered improper had become acceptable by the time Kansas statehood occurred.

“In the 1840s, the waltz was considered a risqué dance, but by the 1860s it was permissible and they were doing a lot of waltzing,” Sheets says. “But you couldn’t dance too close, you had to keep a water barrel’s distance between you and your partner so as not to be risqué and because of the lady’s hooped skirt.”

While many attendees at the modern-day event dress in comfortable clothing including blue jeans, some don mid-19^th century attire that would have been worn by Kansans at that time.

Photos courtesy of Dickinson County Historical Society

“We get quite a few every year from Ellsworth and Salina who usually dress up (in historical costumes),” Sheets says. Period clothing might include a ball gown or a simple pioneer skirt and blouse for a woman and a military uniform, buckskin clothing, or a brocade vest, dress shirt and woolen pants for a man.

Photos courtesy of Dickinson County Historical Society

Also dressed in period military attire are members of the Kansas Brigade Band that provides the music. The band, consisting of six to eight members living in Abilene and the surrounding area, was organized by the late Fred Schmidt in the early 1980s with the goal of performing 1860s period music. “At least one of the members actually plays a horn from that time period,” Sheets adds.

Tickets to the Statehood Ball are $5 per adult, $3 for members of the Dickinson County Historical Society, and $2 for children ages three to 12 years. For more information, call (785) 263-2681 or visit the historical society’s website at www.heritagecenterdk.com.

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