Frequently Asked Questions

What is your refund policy?

Tickets to our balls are non-refundable but they can be transferred to another individual. When a larger ball is sold out, people may post on the event’s Facebook page to buy or sell tickets. If you are buying tickets from a stranger, please be careful. If you feel like something is amiss, do not go through with the transaction.

COVID precautions for 2025:

To protect our community, please do not attend if you are exibiting signs of illness on the day of the event. We will not be checking vaccine cards, but we ask that all attendees make sure they are fully vaccinated at the time of the event for their own safety and as a courtesy to others. While we are no longer requiring masks for participation, anyone who chooses to mask is welcome.

Will there be actors? Will there be activities? Is this a LARP, immersive theater, or something else?

CVD is an educational non-profit organization focused on history and dancing. Therefore the main activity of a CVD ball is dancing, and through this we try to build an immersive social experience capturing positive elements of a historical time period. We think this is fun and educational, but it can be a little hard to describe to someone who has never attended one of our events!

We do not generally have actors at our events, nor can our volunteer-run non-profit achieve the production values of some of the larger immersive experiences or theater events. We are also not a LARP – the event does not have a plot, and attendees do not pretend to be characters. It might be easier to think of this as an elaborate costume party with friends you haven’t met yet!

Also note that there are many elements of history that we DO NOT emulate or reenact. Racism and sexism have absolutely no place in our ballroom. Behavior will be judged by modern standards, and bad behavior will not be tolerated in our community.

What is the dancing like?

Our dances are reconstructed from period sources, and we strive for historical accuracy. For the Regency period, this means that modern contra dancers or English country dancers will recognize familiar figures, and Scottish country dancers will notice similar steps, but there are also a lot of differences from any modern dance form. Previous dance experience will probably help you to pick things up quickly, but remember to keep an open mind for the differences that 200 years can make.

Likewise, our 1860s waltz is related to, but different from, a modern ballroom waltz and our 1920s Charleston is different from a swing dance Charleston.

We strive to make our events beginner-friendly. Expect significant instruction during most balls, and keep an eye open for when we offer classes.

What dances will be too difficult for me to handle?

If you have movement difficulties, you might wonder if there will be dances you can do. Some of the dances we teach require only a brisk walk in time to the music, and remembering a simple pattern of actions. Others are more physically challenging, with more complicated patterns, faster movements, and sliding or turning steps. If you come to an event, you will quickly see what you are able to do. There is no problem with “sitting out” a dance to watch and enjoy the ambiance, especially if you find the dance is beyond your comfort level.

Do I need a partner?

No. The dancing we do is a fundamentally social activity. You are welcome to bring a partner, and many people enjoy our events the most if they have a small group of friends to dance with, but there is no problem with attending solo and meeting new people. We cannot insist that people change partners – some people dance with only a single partner as a matter of comfort or because of medical concerns or injury. On the other hand, people learn best from dancing with lots of different dancers. When we teach classes we encourage partner changes, and we hope that mindset carries over to our balls. As a rule of thumb, do not be afraid to ask a stranger to dance, but do not be offended if they decline.

Do you use non-gendered dance terms?

No, we use the terms “lady” and “gentleman,” that were used in Nineteenth Century dance manuals. We use these terms for the dance roles. A person in the lady’s role begins on the right side of a couple and generally steps off with the right foot. A person dancing the gentleman’s role begins on the left side of the couple and generally steps off with the left. You should pick a role and stick with it for the length of the dance. You can dance the same or a different role for other dances in the evening. You can wear clothing of whatever gender makes you feel comfortable and confident, but this doesn’t force you into one dance role or the other.

Are children allowed?

Children who are able to display adult manners and follow directions are welcome to attend our balls as participants, but must be accompanied by an adult. Children are charged full admission price, or the student rate when applicable. Children who are too young to participate in the event (usually those under 12 years of age) are discouraged from attending. There may be specific 18+ events, in which case this will be clearly stated on the event page.

What should I wear?

For classes, wear comfortable modern clothing. For most of our formal events, historical clothing is greatly admired but not required. Unless otherwise specified, modern formal wear is also acceptable. Please, do not wear shorts, jeans, t-shirts, or short skirts to our formal events. These clothes are fine for classes but not balls. Sneakers or shoes that grip the floor are not safe for dancing, so please wear dance shoes or comfortable and clean shoes with minimal grip (dress shoes, flats or low heels, etc.) for dance classes and balls.

Where can I get an outfit?

We are constantly asked that question, but the answer is not easy. First of all, remember that period clothing is not required at many of our events. If it is a question of showing up in nice modern clothes or not showing up at all, definitely come! That said, some people really prefer wearing historical clothes and want help finding them.

If you are interested in making a historical outfit and have some sewing skills, there are many commercially available patterns. Past Patterns is a favorite of ours because each pattern is an education in historical sewing. There are other historical pattern companies that do great work. The big commercial companies offer historically-inspired patterns, but they often use modern construction techniques and can look a little costume-y. Find a pattern and stick to nice cotton or silk fabrics, and you’ll come up with something beautiful.

If you do not sew and would like to buy an outfit, there are usually many sellers on etsy and eBay that make Regency and other historical clothing. Some of these are much higher quality and more accurate than others, but there is so much turnover in sellers that it is hard for us to make recommendations. Look at lots of pictures and original garments to educate your eye before you jump into something.

If you aren’t ready to make the commitment to dedicated clothing yet, consider hitting the thrift store and throwing together an outfit with the right silhouette.

What if it snows?

We live in New England, and that means snow is a real possibility. If the governor calls a snow emergency and tells everyone to stay off the roads, we will have no choice but to cancel the event. If the town where a ball is located calls a snow emergency and shuts down parking during the hours of a ball, we will also cancel the event. Otherwise, we will go ahead with the ball. You can check our home page, our Facebook page, and the Facebook event page for updates on the status of a ball.

What if I have other questions?

Write an email to Query@VintageDancers.org. or leave a voice-mail at 781-350-3399, and we’ll get back to you.