Aristocrats gathering around Emperor Franz Joseph at
a ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, painting by Wilhelm Gause (1900).
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' derives from the Latin 'ballare' meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar" which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance (verb).
Attendees wear evening attire, which is specified on the invitation as black tie or white tie (the most formal). Social dance forms a large part of the evening; actual ballroom dancing may or may not occur.
Types of ball
See also
- Ball gown
- Ballroom
- Cinderella
- Dance card
- Duchess of Richmond's Ball
- Prom, a North American term for a similar occasion
- Vienna Opera Ball
Further reading
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