Balls 2016

ABOUT THE BALLS: 

There will be opportunities to attend up to five balls during Waltz Week in Vienna, 2016!

 

THE OFFICIAL "WALTZ WEEK" BALL: 

As a group, plan to get tickets for the "LAWYERS BALL" on Saturday, Feb 6th.  This will be a delightful finish to our week of workshops and play (See details below).    PLEASE NOTE:  This Ball sells out quickly, so we need to get your payment in before Dec 20th to guarantee you a spot. 

ONE PRE-CAMP BALL:

While not officially part of Waltz Week, the PHYSICIANS BALL at the Hofburg Palace on Saturday, Jan 30th, is a great option if you are arriving in Vienna early and would like to experience more than one kind of ball during your time here.  We would be happy to arrange tickets for you to attend (please see note and details below).

THREE ADDITIONAL BALLS DURING WALTZ WEEK:

If you would like to attend an additional ball in a different venue during Waltz Week, the OPERA BALL on Thursday, Feb 4th at the Vienna Opera House, or the BON BON BALL on Friday, Feb 5th at the Konzerthaus, or the KAFFEESIEDER BALL on Friday, Feb 5th at the Hofburg Palace would be lovely options to consider, particularly if you can't make it to the LAWYER's Ball on Saturday, Feb 6th (our official camp ball).  Again, we would be happy to arrange tickets for you to attend (please see note and details below).

     NOTE:  

In order for us to buy tickets for you, tickets for the balls must be ordered through our website by December 20th.  This will ensure enough time for our Vienna team to purchase and collect them.  Tickets ordered after December 20th cannot be guaranteed.  We will do our best to get them for you, but these balls can sell out quickly once the box office opens.  You will be refunded in full for any tickets which you paid for but could not be obtained.  Tickets for most of the Balls listed here can be purchased on our registration page.  (Prices shown below reflect ticket price + internet fee)

NOTE:  

If you are planning on coming to any of the balls without a partner, please see the note at the bottom of this page.

 

 

 

THE FIVE BALLS:

 

 1.   Saturday, Jan 30th: The Vienna Physician’s Ball ("Aerzt" Ball) at the Hofburg Palace  -- A great option if you are arriving the weekend before "Waltz Week"

Location: Hofburg Imperial Palace   
                     1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria

Doors open: 7:30 pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
End of ball: 5:00 am

Dress code: 
          Ladies: evening dress
          Gentlemen: dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit

Tickets: € 120 per person (entrance only, no table seat or food/drinks included) 

More information:  http://www.aerzteball.at/ 

 

 

 

2.   Thursday, Feb 4th: The Vienna State Opera Ball  -- This is a much more expensive, but lovely option for a Ball to attend on Thursday during Waltz Week, particularly since it will be in a completely different venue.  The venue, however, only has two dance floors, so it will be very crowded: 

"The annual Wiener Opernball takes place in the grand auditorium of the Vienna State Opera House on the Thursday preceding Ash Wednesday. This glamorous occasion, first inaugurated in 1854, has its roots in the dance evenings held in Vienna's aristocratic palaces during the late 18th century.  With its dazzling mix of ballet, polonaise and waltz, the Opera Ball is redolent of the grandeur of the Hapsburg Empire. It has become one of the biggest, most romantic middle-European society events of the year, attended by an eclectic array of aristocrats, bourgeoisie  and bohemians."

Location:  Vienna State Opera House   
                     Opernring 2, 1010 Wien, Austria

Doors open:  8:30pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony:  10:00pm
End of ball:  5:00am

Dress code: 
Ladies: evening dress
Gentlemen: dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit

Tickets: [NOTE: You will need to purchase these tickets on your own from the Opera Ball Website (see link below]  Tickets start at € 290 per person (no seating or table) -- Yes, these are the cheapest available.  If you would like further amenities (table, etc), the price goes up from there.  For more information and tickets, contact the Opera Ball Committee directly via their website link below. 

More Information & Ticket Purchases: http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/home/opernball/Allgemein.de.php

 



 

3.   Friday, Feb 5th: The 58th Wiener Kaffeesieder ("Coffee House Owners") Ball  -- A great option if you looking for another Ball to attend during Waltz Week!  

Location:  Hofburg Imperial Palace   
                     1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria

Doors open: 7:30 pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
End of ball: 4:30 am

Dress code: 
Ladies: ball gown or floor length evening gown
Gentlemen: evening tails, smoking jacket, or uniform (bow ties only!  No regular ties allowed)

Tickets: € 135 per person (Entrance only plus €12 ball booking fee.  No table, seat, or food/drinks included, however a little gift for the ladies is included)

The Kaffeesieder Ball is considered one of the largest and finest of the Vienna ball season.  More than 5,500 guests attended last year at the Hofburg.

More information: http://www.kaffeesiederball.at/    This is an excellent website with details, pictures, and all of the information you need to prepare for the ball.  Click on the "English" language option on the top right corner of the page

 


 

 

 4.   Friday, Feb 5th: The 66th Wiener Bon Bon Ball at the Vienna Konzerthaus  -- A great option if you looking for another Ball to attend during Waltz Week at a different venue!  

Location: Wiener Konzerthaus   
                     Lothringerstraße 20, 1030 Wien, Austria

Doors open: 7:30 pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
End of ball: 5:00 am

Public Transportation:
 Metro: U4 Stadtpark a 3-minute tram: D, 2, 71 Schwarzenbergplatz a 5-minute bus: 3A Schwarzenbergplatz about 5 minutes

Dress code: 
          Ladies: evening dress
          Gentlemen: dinner jacket, tuxedo, or dark suit

Tickets: € 95 per person (entrance only, no table seat or food/drinks included)

More information: http://www.bonbonball.at

 


.

 5.  Saturday, Feb 6th:  The Ball of Legal Professionals ("The Lawyer's Ball")   -- This is the official ball event for "Waltz Week" participants.  The event includes nine rooms of  dance music (from orchestra & big band in the Grand Hall, to salsa, jazz, dixie, disco, and more in the smaller salons)

Location:  Hofburg Imperial Palace   
                     1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria.   Phone: +43 1242 00-0

Doors open: 8:00 pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:30pm
End of ball: 5:00 am

Dress code: 
Ladies: Long evening dress or formal national costume
Gentlemen: Dinner jacket/tuxedo, tuxedo with bow tie or formal national costume

Tickets:  € 135 per person.  Entrance only, no table seating.  Food & drinks are purchased separately.

More information: http://www.juristenball.at/  

 


 To check for other Ball options in Vienna and nearby cities, you may find the following links useful:

 Special Note:   

Partnering for the Viennese Ball 

     If you are planning to attend a Viennese Ball in Europe as a single person (or as a single couple), you should be aware of a few etiquette points.

       First, at these kinds of events, guests will typically dance only with the partner they came with.  That is to say, unlike some of the social dance parties you might have attended in the United States, at a formal European ball, the etiquette of partner exchange is generally not done.  

      For this reason, we highly recommend coming to these balls with a partner in hand.  If you are coming alone and will only be attending the official Waltz Week Ball on Saturday, Feb 22th, then of course we will do our very best to partner you with other solo participants from our group and to share partners throughout the evening.  If you plan to attend any of the other balls alone, we highly encourage you to post your intentions on our "Waltz Week in Vienna" Facebook page and see if you can coordinate to meet up with other solo participants there.   

   

Hired Dance-Partnering Services (Taxi-Dancers)

     Another option for single attendees is that some of the balls may help you arrange for a local taxi dancer to attend as your dance partner.  Just be aware that this can be expensive.  Hiring a dance escort means that you are responsible for all of their costs, including ball ticket, tuxedo rental (if needed), transportation, meals/drinks, hiring stipend/fee, etc.  That being said, ball escorts are typically charming people, lovely dancers, and enjoy being there as much as you do.  If anything else, it's a wonderful way to meet a fellow dancer and get to learn more of their local culture and history first hand.  Please contact the local ball committee (click on their web page link) to see if this option is available for that particular ball, or continue reading below....

Waltz Week Dance Escorts:

(for attending the optional 'unofficial' Waltz Week Balls)   

 
 

 "The Blue Rose Gentlemen"

Vienna's Premier Dance-Partnering Service:

We are happy to announce that Waltz Week is partnering with Vienna's premier Ball dance-partnering service called "The BlueRose Gentlemen", a group of honorable, very well-trained ballroom dancers & Austrian gentlemen who are offering our female guests their services to accompany them to any of the optional Balls during the week (or even to the "official" Waltz Week Ball if you would prefer to have your own committed dance partner remain with you for the entire evening).

 

DETAILS & DESCRIPTIONS: 

Details about the BlueRose Gentlemen, their philosophy, their training, and their dance-partnering services can be found on their website:  http://www.bluerose.at/en/index.php and briefly outlined below:

COSTS:

For information about pricing for dance-partnering services, please contact: office@bluerose.at

 

FLEXIBILITY:  

The "BlueRose Gentleman" organizers are more than happy to work with you to create your own unique experience for any individual Ball or dance event, and will try to arrange an escort for you that would best suit your needs and budget.  Costs may vary depending on the activity and time frame.  Please contact office@bluerose.at with any specific questions or requests you might have.

 

BLUEROSE DANCER CLASSIFICATIONS:  A description of the two classes of BlueRose Club members are briefly outlined below.  Further details can be found on their webpage: 

1) Active BlueRose Gentlemen:  These are the men who are presented on the website with photos and details.  Most of them are young adults or students under the age of 40 years. All are veteran Ball attendees and competent ballroom dancers.  They are the active members of the BlueRose club.  All speak English, and are gracious and charming hosts.

2) Grandseigneurs (40+): These gentlemen are not presented on the website or considered to be "active" members, but are on call in the event that a guest would prefer an older dance partner or if there is a need for more partners than the active members can support in any one night.  These gentlemen are all veteran Ball attendees and competent ballroom dancers.  All speak English, and are gracious and charming hosts.  Their partnering services are guaranteed up until 1am.  Beyond 1am, individual arrangements will need to be made.

 CONTACT INFORMATION:

Please write to:  office@bluerose.at

You can review their website at: http://www.bluerose.at/en/index.php