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Welcome to the Victorian Dance Ensemble
"Sixteen wonderful years . . . and the best is yet to come!" Thank you for visiting our website. The Victorian Dance Ensemble, the
performing troupe of the Civil War Dance Foundation,
is a group of about fifty living historians who share a love for the grace and beauty of
mid-nineteenth century dancing. We are devoted to promoting and advancing
educational, cultural, preservation, commemoration and performing arts
programs related to the Civil War and Victorian eras.
This photograph of the Victorian Dance Ensemble was taken at the historic
Dobbin House in Gettysburg by Rob Gibson in 2008. It is a ferrotype, a wet
plate photograph, made with an 1860s camera and techniques. Since 1999, the Ensemble has performed at the Dobbin House and the
Visitor Center as part of the Gettysburg National Military Park’s Annual Music
Muster. To learn more about dancing during the Civil War, visit the Camp Curtin Historical Society website and read the article in The Bugle, the Society's quarterly journal http://www.campcurtin.org/pdfs/2009_1.pdf
February 25 - Winchester, VA - 2nd Annual George Washington Ball
February 12 -
Frederick, MD - Abraham Lincoln: Music and Dance of His Time
For our complete schedule of upcoming 2012 events and a summary of our 2011 events, visit our "Schedule of Events" Page.
News
This is the first time the award was presented to a civilian living history organization. The award is one of several presented by the Civil War Trust to individuals and groups in recognition of their outstanding commitment to preserving America’s Civil War heritage. “We are deeply honored by this award and hope that our work will inspire others to support historic preservation,” said Annette Keener-Farley, President of the CWDF.
In addition, the Civil War Dance Foundation has helped to raise over $125,000 for various Civil War preservation projects, historic sites and museums. Its two biggest annual events support preservation at the Gettysburg Battlefield. For the last eight years, it has conducted the Civil War Preservation Ball in the rotunda of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa., and raised over $45,000 for the Gettysburg Monuments Endowment Trust Fund. Since 2005, the National Civil War Ball on Remembrance Day in Gettysburg, Pa., has raised another $25,000 for Gettysburg National Military Park. Keener-Farley said, “Musicians are often partners in our preservation efforts and we could not conduct fundraising balls and demonstrations without the excellent music and dedication of musicians such as the Philadelphia Brigade Band and the Susquehanna Travellers.” The Civil War Trust, formerly the Civil War Preservation Trust, is the nation’s foremost Civil War preservation organization, with over 55,000 members. The Civil War Trust has worked to save and preserve more than 30,000 acres of battlefield land at 110 battlefields in 20 different states.
The Victorian Dance
Ensemble had previously received awards from:
2011 PRESERVATION & EDUCATION DONATIONS The Civil War Dance Foundation and its performing troupe, the Victorian Dance Ensemble, is pleased to announce that in November 2011 it donated $4,000 to four organizations for Civil War preservation and education programs. Each year, our dancers select organizations and causes to help support preservation and education efforts. We are very pleased to make donations to these worthy organizations to help them preserve our history. We encourage everyone to support events that make a substantial donation to preservation. With this year’s donations, the total has now reached over $35,000 since the group began making donations in 2001. For a complete list of our past donations, see http://www.civilwardance.org/history.htm. Additionally, the CWDF’s balls and dance demonstrations have helped other organizations raise over $125,000 for preservation and education.
2011 National Civil War Ball
The Philadelphia Brigade Band, under the direction of Richard Cummines, provided the music ranging from lively reels to romantic waltzes. The Victorian Dance Ensemble demonstrated and taught the dances throughout the evening and assisted any couples having difficulties. Larry Keener-Farley served as dance master, assisted by Rebecca Kesler and Jeffrey Trace.
Guests literally came from around the country to attend the ball. Members of Civil War hereditary groups, both Union and Confederate, military and civilian reenactors as well as supporters of Civil War preservation joined in the festivities. (Photo above, right to left) SUV Commander-in-Chief Donald Palmer and his wife, Kimberly, led the Grand March. They was joined by Anne Jaster, National President of the Auxiliary of the SUV, accompanied by David Sosnowski; they were followed by Ron Teague (Maj. Gen. John Reynolds) with the Federal Generals Corps, Rosie Thoburn (Capt. Sally Tompkins) with Lee’s Lieutenants, Chris Godart (Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell) with Lee’s Lieutenants, and Denise Winter with the Dixie Rose Relief Society. This year’s ball also attracted a large number of new younger dancers, which bodes well not only for this special event but also for reenacting in general.
Next year's ball we be on November 17, 2012.
Civil War Lady Ball
The Gettysburg Hotel was filled with music and smiles as the VDE led the dancing at the Civil War Lady Ball on Friday, November 18, the day before Remembrance Day. The beautiful sounds of the Philadelphia Brigade Band (below right) echoed in the halls and under the leadership of our Dance Master for the evening, Jeff Trace (below left), the dancers whirled and twirled about the dance floor under the watchful eyes of our floor managers. Our friendly and experienced floor managers guided our guests through all the moves and made a favorable impression on all at the ball. Many dancers said it was the best ball they had ever attended and particularly mentioned that the floor managers were knowledgeable and gracious. A wonderful time was had by all. During the evening, Heather & Raquelle Sheen of the South Carolina "Joyful Harps" (below center) serenaded the ball attendees with their heavenly tunes.
Next year's ball we be on November 16, 2012.
Civil War Trust Launches Major Preservation Effort To mark the sesquicentennial anniversary of the American Civil War and create a lasting legacy of that commemoration, the Civil War Trust announced an ambitious national campaign that will permanently protect 20,000 acres of battlefield land over the next five years. The Trust, which has already protected more than 30,000 acres in 20 states, recognizes that the war’s 150th anniversary offers an unprecedented opportunity to encourage public support for a large-scale preservation initiative. Campaign 150: Our Time, Our Legacy kicked
off on June 30, with an event held at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg, a key landmark of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle, which
occurred 148 years ago. The project was announced by Civil War Trust
chairman Henry Simpson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of
Freedom James McPherson and the organization’s newest Trustee, country
music superstar Trace Adkins. Members of the Civil War Dance Foundation,
the CWT’s Reenactment Unit of the Year, attended the press conference to
show their support of this important preservation project.
Manassas 150th Anniversary Commemoration Hot . . . Hotter . . . Hottest! We have all been to hot events but the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas had to be the warmest in quite some time. Temperatures were in the 100s and the heat index even higher. The Civil War Dance Foundation participated in the Historic Manassas commemoration that was held throughout the town at various historic sites and museums.
In the evenings, we shifted over to the Loy E. Harris Pavilion in the center of Manassas. The Olde Towne Brass (below left) and the Camptown Shakers provided excellent live music for our dance instruction and demonstrations on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday evening, we conducted the first part of the Blue and Gray Ball, a fundraiser for the historic sites in Manassas. Again, the Olde Towne Brass played. Our good friend, Patrick Gorman (Gen. John Bell Hood in Gettysburg and Gods and Generals) served as the master of ceremonies. He had danced with us several times at Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation balls so he was familiar with our dances. Patrick graciously led the Grand March with our own Ana Strickland (above in white dress) and later danced with numerous ladies during the German Waltz. (Photo above by Jeanine Lindberg) Click thumbnail to see larger picture.
American Journeys Civil War Tour Three hundred guests came to Washington, D.C., from around the country to join in Ken Burns’ first American Journeys Civil War Tour conducted by Tauck Tours. Beginning on May 22, the five day event featured in-depth, small-group sightseeing programs and private evening gala events. Tours during the day included the Lincoln’s Cottage, Ford’s Theatre, Arlington House, Library of Congress, Frederick Douglass House, African American Civil War Memorial & Museum, and the Manassas Battlefield.
The opening welcome event featured a lecture by noted Civil War historian and Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer at the National Building Museum. Formerly the Pension Office Building, designed by Civil War Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs, the huge space has been the site of several Presidential Inaugural Balls. Fittingly, the Victorian Dance Ensemble and Federal City Brass Band provided the entertainment in that spectacular historic setting (above). Later in the week, Ken Burns spoke at the National
Archives and the 2nd South Carolina String Band entertained at the closing
reception at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait
Gallery, site of President Lincoln’s second inaugural ball.
The 8th Annual
Civil War Preservation Ball
Raises $7,500
Once again, the Civil War Preservation Ball was a great
success. Guests included President Abraham Lincoln (Jim Getty), shown below greeting Mary and Lucy Burns. The young ladies were attending their first ball. The girls had attended the free dance classes in the months before the ball with their parents and were quite proficient in the dances.
The 9th Annual Civil War Preservation Ball
Thanks to
our sponsors for their support: Click thumbnail to see larger picture.
The Inaugural
Sesquicentennial Soiree A Benefit for the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, Virginia
Saturday, February 26,
2011 Click thumbnail to see larger picture
Next year's ball is scheduled for Saturday,
February 25, 2012.
Abraham Lincoln: Music and Dance of His Time On February
4, we had the honor of performing in “Abraham Lincoln: Music and Dance of
His Time” before an audience of more than 600 at the Majestic Theater in
Gettysburg, Pa. The first part of the program included music by the Spires Brass Band and a selection of songs by Roosevelt Credit, Jeff Fahnestock and Kathleen Sasnett, accompanied by Scott Crowne on the piano. Then the Victorian Dance Ensemble paraded onto the stage and demonstrated dances of the period to the music of the Susquehanna Travellers. Jeff Fahnestock kindly narrated our program while Larry Keener-Farley and Jeff Trace called the dances. During our time in the spotlight, we demonstrated Soldier’s Joy, Money Musk Reel, Lancer’s Quadrille, Spanish Waltz, Tempest and German Waltz. After the intermission, we returned for a performance of “For the People” under the direction of composer Dr. John William “Buzz” Jones (see below). For this presentation, James Getty narrated as President Abraham Lincoln. During the “President’s Ball” movement of the piece, we performed the Lincoln Quadrille. Videos of our performance have been posted on YouTube: Civil War Dance, Part I – Soldier’s Joy, Money Musk
Reel, Lancer’s Quadrille Civil War Dance, Part II – Spanish Waltz, Tempest,
German Waltz Civil War Dance, Part III – “For the People” oratorio,
Lincoln Quadrille Another performance is scheduled for Sunday, February 12, 2012, in Frederick, Md.
LINCOLN ORATORIO
“For
the People,” a new oratorio, premiered at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg
as part of the Gettysburg Address Dedication Day events on November 19,
2009. A standing room only audience filled the 800 seat theater. Plans
are already underway to “take the show on the road.”
Another
performance is
scheduled for Friday, February 4, 2011, at the Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg.
Additional performances are scheduled for 2012 and 2013.
The
oratorio was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Lincoln Bicentennial
Commission and was composed by Dr. John William Jones, Professor at the
Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. The musical tribute
to Abraham Lincoln featured guest narrator Stephen Lang, who has become
known for work both on stage and in films, including the movies
Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, and the recently released
Avatar.
Following the oratorio, Jeff Shaara presented the award for the best fiction Civil War book of the year to Nick Taylor for his novel, The Disagreement. The evening concluded with the 48th Annual Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture by Michael Burlingame speaking on "Abraham Lincoln: New Information, Fresh Perspectives." For other pictures of Dedication Day see http://www.palincoln.org/photo-gallery/
The Civil War Dance Foundation is a
Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, recognized by the All contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The organization's exempt purpose is to promote and advance educational, cultural, preservation, commemoration and performing arts programs related to the Civil War and Victorian eras.
Civil War Dance Foundation Email: CivilWarDance@verizon.net Last updated February 7, 2012 |
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Civil War Dance Foundation © 2010 | All Rights Reserved Web Design By: EKDesigns.com |
Since 2000, the Civil
War Dance Foundation has donated over $31,000 from its own treasury to Civil
War preservation and education projects, including $6,500 to the Civil War
Trust. It has also presented educational programs at the CWT’s Teacher
Institute and provided entertainment at the CWT’s Annual Conferences. 
$1,000
- The Civil War Trust
Over
three hundred and fifty guests danced the night away at the 18th Annual
National Civil War Ball, the official ball of Remembrance Day, in Gettysburg
on November 19. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans, the event raised
over $4,000 for preservation and maintenance at the Gettysburg National
Military Park. The ball is the oldest, biggest and best dance on Remembrance
Day. Its primary purpose is to have fun with friends, but it has also become
a major Civil War preservation fundraiser. While other balls on Saturday evening
just put money into promoters’ pockets, this ball has raised more than
$64,000 for the Park.
During
the day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday we held dance classes in a nice air
conditioned school gym (below right) near the Civil War encampment and
sutler area. Reenactors and spectators joined us for some basic instruction
in 19th century dancing or maybe it was just to get into a cool place. We
had great fun as many children tried the dancing and everyone seemed to
enjoy helping the little ones through the formations. 
