56th Annual Viennese Opera Ball

The Viennese Opera Ball was an international affair yet again. Participants flew in from all over the country as well as locations ranging from the more expected European countries (like England, Austria, and Germany), to Argentina. Leading up to the ball there were events at the Austrian Consulate, drink gatherings at the Pierre Hotel's 2E Lounge and UES watering hole Haven, and practice sessions at the Waldorf Astoria. The evening was capped off by a spectacular performance of ballet (dancers delivered to the ballroom floor in a horse drawn carriage) and opera, with some of the cadet escorts getting in on the act as ''admiring fans'' of the primadonna. After the Tanz Bar the debs, escorts, and junior committee jetted down to the after-after party at a Greenwich Village apartment. Notable Debutantes and Escorts included Eiseley Tauginas, Hermione Sharp, Frederick Havemeyer, Stephanie Nass, Klaus Pecnik, Dani Wandersee, Carlisle Williams, Pierce Cravens, Katherine White, and Miguel Angel Ferreyra. Proceeds from the evening supported Lauren Bush's charity the FEED Foundation.

15th Annual Military Ball

Fall is in full swing and one of the best ways to start off the benefit season is with the Military Ball. The event benefits the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard, and Airmen's Club located at 283 Lexington Ave. The club, more affectionately called the SSMAC, is a New York institution which has been around since 1919, helping to serve those who serve our country. Notable guests at this year's ball included SSMAC chairman Prince Ivan Obolensky, Tony Sirico, Dr. Robert and Kate Wickham, Margo Catsimitidis, Marvin Scott, Allison Chase, Bob and Susan Frederick, Minnette Boesel, Mary Elizabeth Dooner, Tiana Idoni-Matthews, Rachel Kirwin, Gregory T Angelo, Camille Fesche, and Love Brigade's Devan Markiewicz.

50th Annual Quadrille Ball

After several years of renovations, the Plaza is up and running again, and the Quadrille has retured to its previous home. It seems only fitting that this would coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Quadrille Ball, thrown by the Germanistic Society of America. The event drew alumni of the ball from many different years and countries across the globe. The Debs, Escorts, and guests danced the night away, including the traditional (and quite spirited) midnight quadrille. Following the ball all of the guests were invited to the Kuka Club afterparty, followed by a slightly less official after-after party. It is amazing how after all of this revelry the Debs and Escorts still manage to show up to a brunch at the Liederkranz Club the following day...

The 52nd Annual Bal Polonaise

The 52nd Annual Bal Polonaise benefiting the Polish Assistance was held in the ballroom of the Plaza Hotel again this year. The dancing ticket for this event is usually a favorite of the younger crowd coming off of either the Viennese Opera Ball or the Quadrille Ball. However, this year was significantly scaled back – one of the first major events to be noticeably affected by the current economic environment. Given the lower attendance and shorter hours, the event was still in many ways a great success. Those who did attend found themselves treated to an open bar (last year the dancing ticket featured a cash bar) and a dance floor with room to show off some moves. Elizabeth Brown and I even had the whole floor toward the end of the evening for an exhibition of our Viennese Waltz. Many debutantes from the International Debutante Ball re-convened for this evening with Elizabeth Brown, Anne Moody, Patricia Poekel, Abigail Tufts (all 2008) and Breanna Sage (2006) in attendance. The evening continued onwards as many of us piled into an impromptu limo ride over to PJ Clarkes and then on to Nikki Beach Midtown for the after-parties. An upcoming Champagne Brunch at the New York Athletic Club was the talk of the evening, with many guests planning to attend. Look for coverage of that event coming soon.

49th Annual Quadrille Ball

The debutantes of the 49th Annual Quadrille Ball were presented at the Pierre Hotel Grand Ballroom on January 24th, 2009 in New York City. The event was the culmination of 3 months of intense practices and enjoyable social outings for the 16 ladies and their escorts. All dancers are proposed by alumni of the ball and take part in one of the most rigorous debutante preparation processes. The debutantes and escorts mingled with guests during the cocktail reception in the Cotillion Room before the ball. The guests all walked through the receiving line of dancers, and the Quadrille was performed beautifully after a wonderful dinner and speeches. The performance of the Quadrille culminated the coming out process for these lovely ladies. The Quadrille, as a dance, dates back to the 17th Century and was a popular activity in the courts of Europe. All of the calls are spoken in French and the dancers perform in elegant unison. Notable guests to this year’s Quadrille ball included HRH Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Alan Z Feuer, Heide Herz, Dr. Horst Freitag the Consul General of Germany, Katherine Pfeiffer, Caspar von Zitzewitz, Karl von Trott, Anne Moody, Beanna Sage, Jennifer Rolfe, Eamon Wood, and Asha Talwar. The Quadrille Ball raises money for the Germanistic Society of America, a non-profit organization which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. The organization distributes money for scholarships that enable qualified American undergraduate and graduate students to study in Germany.