EUROPEAN DANCE
The European Dance Tent is a lovely place to spend time at Pennsic. We are at the corner of Chandler’s Road and Dragon’s Trace, across from the Great Hall.
There’s ample shade, iced water, plentiful benches, a beautiful wooden floor, constant music, and dancing! You can join in the dancing or just come to watch. Classes are taught all day, from youth-oriented classes in the morning straight through until dinnertime. Then we turn on the lights, set up the music stands, and revel far into the night. Everyone can learn to dance, and the more the merrier.
Schedule: The dance class schedule can be found on the Pennsic University Thing (https://thing.pennsicuniversity.org/). At Pennsic, check the message boards daily for postings about balls, revels, and socials, or check the main schedule in the Dance Tent.
Revels and Socials
We will be dancing every evening in the dance tent. Many evenings there will be themed balls, revels, and merriments galore! We would like to encourage everyone to come to the Beginners’ Ball on the evening of Sunday, August 3. All the dances will be taught, and no partner or experience is needed.
- Monday, July 29 to Wednesday, July 30, 9 PM: open dancing and open band.
- Thursday, July 31, 9 PM: Musicians’ choice open dancing and open band. The musicians will choose the dances for the evening. Band leader THL Siri Toivosdotter.
- Friday, August 1, 9 PM: Early Bird Ball, hosted by Baroness Gwenllyen the Minstrel, band leader THL Siri Toivosdotter. Open band.
- Saturday, August 2, 9 PM: The Contessa’s Red and Gold Ball, hosted by Countess Judith de Northumbria, band leader Master Albrecht Catsprey. Closed band.
- Sunday, August 3, 4 PM: An Enchanted Picnic, hosted by Countess Judith de Northumbria, band leader Master Albrecht Catsprey. Closed band.
- Sunday, August 3, 8 PM: Beginners’ Ball, hosted by Lady Sonya Flicker, called Patches, band leader Lord Maugorn the Stray. Open band.
- Monday, August 4, 9 PM: Italian Revel, hosted by Mistress Rebecca da Firenze, band leader Elizabeth of Dendermonde. Open band.
- Tuesday, August 5, 8 PM: The Rainbow Ball (to accompany the Clan Blue Feather Ball and Fashion Collition), hosted by Alexander of Mistig Waetru, band leader TBD. Open band.
- Wednesday, August 6, 9 PM: Pennsic Grand Masked Ball, hosted by Avelina del Dolce, band leader TBD. Open band.
- Thursday, August 8, 10 AM: All Ages Revel, hosted by Mistress Rebecca da Firenze, band leader Elizabeth of Dendermonde. Open band.
- Thursday, August 8, 9 PM: Farewell Ball, hosted by Lady Mirabella Walmesley, Lord Richard de Troyes, and Lady Sonya Flicker, band leader TBD. Open band.
Musicians
Greetings to all those inspired to play music for dancing! There are many opportunities at Pennsic. Musicians are needed and are welcome to play most nights at the European dance tent in Pennsic University. As noted above, we are going to try to match musicians with dance instructors. This is completely voluntary. A registration form will be available soon!
All skill levels of musicians and all acoustic instruments (period or modern) are welcome. Please stop by the European dance tent for more information, including a schedule of activities that welcome dance musicians! We will be playing music arrangements from the Pennsic Pile, available for download here on the European Dance webpage or at the bottom of this post.
The balls that are “closed pit,” i.e., not a pick-up band, are the evening The Contessa’s Red and Gold Ball, and the daytime An Enchanted Picnic.
Ball Set Lists
Ball sets will be listed on the website as the information becomes available.