Illustration by Cayla O'Carroll
If your Bridgerton fandom has you wishing you could join the ton at lavish Regency balls, then Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance is your time machine. Founded in 1981, the academy researches, reconstructs, then re-creates ballroom social dances (non-competitive partner dances meant for socializing) that would have been popular between 1800 and 1930.
In practice, that means, “We teach classes to the public, perform historical dance, and host period balls two or three times per year,” says Tamara Anderson, the academy’s artistic director. That includes the General Lafayette 200th Anniversary Ball on April 26 celebrating the Frenchman’s 1824 visit to Cincinnati. (Yes, that’s post-Regency, but still well within Flying Cloud’s area of expertise.)
The teaching part of the academy’s mission comes into play during the six weeks leading up to the ball. Weekly lessons at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center allow you to brush up on the steps. “There are people who say to me, Oh I can’t dance,” Anderson says. “I’ve been doing this 30 years or more, and I have never run into anyone who can’t dance. The set dances are simple footwork. There isn’t anybody who can show up and not feel successful.”
Take note: Most of those who show up, dress up, Anderson says. “I love dance, I love history, and I love dressing up,” she adds. “With a ball, it’s all those things. People who come regularly to our classes and to our balls, they do love to dress up.”
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