The Statehouse is throwing a ball, but don’t expect any glass slippers or pumpkin carriages.

Ohio’s historical re-enactors, the 1st Ohio Battery Artillery A, will hold their annual Grande Winter Ball at the Statehouse this Saturday. Everyone is invited to join in the dancing and are encouraged to wear attire reminiscent of the mid-19th century fashions.

The ball is from 7 to 9 p.m. and is structured as a ball would have been structured in that period.

“It starts off with a grand march. Each couple enters the room in a line … after that the men will play different numbers and different dances throughout the evening,” said Mike Rupert, communications specialist at the Ohio Statehouse.

The ball is an opportunity to get people involved in a “living history.”
“By talking to people, interacting and dancing in these ways, it really gives you a different viewpoint of life and how our country was formed and what was important at that time. Bringing history to life is what we aspire to do,” Rupert said.

“I have had a lot of experiences with civil war re-enactors … they are very good ambassadors for history,” said Mark Grimsley, professor in the Ohio State Department of History. “I think that this is a really interesting effort at public outreach and engagement.”

There is no charge for attending and people may come to just watch the event. If you’re worried that your 19th century dancing skills may be a bit rusty, have no fear; there is a workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. before the ball and instructions are given at the event.

“We treat it as an educational event, so most of the dances are called. The person at the front of the room will tell you what to do as the move is coming up,” Rupert said.

“We definitely want to bring that time period into peoples’ minds and to educate people about that time period in American history,” he said.

Dances will include the waltz, a polka-like dance, as well as a type of dance known as the Virginia reel.

Grimsley believes that dance has been an important branch of human interaction since ancient times.

“History is part of the humanities; English, history, philosophy … all of these fields are really focused on the human experience and really are about learning and teaching what it means to be a human being; really extend our appreciation.” Grimsley said.

“I’m more into ballet, hip hop and jazz…” said Jessica Trajanovski, a fourth-year student at OSU and dance instructor at Pinnell Dance Centre. “but the ball does sound interesting and I think it could be a fun and unique experience to see a variety of different styles.”

The mission of the 1st Ohio Battery A is to promote the Ohio Statehouse and its identity as a site of civic involvement, education and visitation.

In an e-mail, Rupert said “Everyone is welcome at the Statehouse, or as we like to call it, ‘The People’s House.'”

If you are interested in attending this event, RSVP at [email protected] or (614) 728-4185.