A Ball for Jane Austen's 250th Birthday

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Dear Readers,

Last year I decided to throw a public ball for the milestone anniversary of Jane Austen's birth—held on her birthday! I drew upon my experiences with Student Activities at BYU–Idaho, my beloved alma mater from which I received a BA in English (creating writing emphasis). I worked on the committee of the annual Jane Austen Yule Ball five times (2010–2014), serving as the committee chair my senior year. Also in my senior year, I organized a Jane Austen Summer Formal.

It was with excitement, trepidation, sweat, tears, and the indispensable aid of family and friends, that my latest ball was brought to fruition and proved a smashing success, as well as a valuable learning experience. While I had plenty of volunteer help, I also got some family discounts. I hired Ashton String Quartet, because two of my cousins comprise half its members, so they reduced their share of the fee, and my aunt did the decorating for only $500.

I booked the venue on August 6 and published the event on Eventbrite two days later. I needed to sell tickets to cover my expenses. They were mostly covered: less than $100 out of pocket. I believe my decision to absorb processing fees during early bird pricing was a mistake. I would have broken even and even made a profit if I hadn't done that. You can view the event details here: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jane-austens-250th-birthday-ball-tickets-1545700284159?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Dance List

If you want to use this dance list, which I have dubbed my Jane Austen dance list, for your own Jane Austen event, contact me beforehand to tell me about it and then give me credit. :) I have a post for each of the following dances.

1st Set (Historical)

  1. Tythe Pig (for Pride and Prejudice)
  2. Dusty Miller (for Mansfield Park)
  3. Duke of Kent's Waltz (for Lady Susan)
  4. Physical Snob (for Emma)

2nd Set (Modern) 

  1. The Kiss (for Sense and Sensibility)
  2. Once Upon a December (for Jane Austen)
  3. Faded (for Persuasion)
  4. Thriller (for Northanger Abbey)
I would order the second set this way if you use this dance list:

  1. The Kiss (for Sense and Sensibility) 
  2. Faded (for Persuasion)
  3. Thriller (for Northanger Abbey)
  4. Once Upon a December (for Jane Austen)



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