Bal (Ball)

Overview

A bal (ball) was a formal social event centered on dancing, held in private homes, public venues, or dedicated ballrooms. Balls were among the most important social events of the 19th-century season, offering opportunities for display, courtship, and social advancement. The related forms include the bal masqué (masked ball), bal costumé (costume ball), and the more intimate soirée dansante.

Types

- Bal privé: Private ball hosted in a residence; invitation-only
- Bal masqué: Masked ball, especially popular during carnival season (Nice, Rome)
- Bal costumé: Costume ball with themed dress
- Bal public: Public ball open to ticket-holders; less exclusive
- Matinée dansante: Daytime dance event

Social Protocol

- Dance cards determined partners for each dance
- Invitations to dance were formal and socially significant
- Refusing a dance without reason was a serious social affront
- The opening dance (often a waltz or quadrille) set the social hierarchy
- Chaperones supervised unmarried young women
- Supper was served at a designated hour

Marie at Balls

Marie describes balls with characteristic intensity — her dress, her partners, who noticed her, who ignored her, the music, the atmosphere. Carnival masked balls in Nice and Rome are particularly vivid. Marie also describes a ball organized by Baron Schenk at Soden specifically to meet her (1878-08-05, carnet 081), leading to the Dourassoff courtship episode.

References in Diary

- Multiple balls and dance events across all years
- Carnival balls in Nice (February) and Rome
- Private balls in Parisian salons
- German spa town entertainments