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**THE AUTOCRATS ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL AIDE IN TROLL, DECORATIONS, SECURITY AND POTLUCK ORGANIZATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASSIST, PLEASE EMAIL ANNA AT ANG@KAOUSUU.NET OR SHEUMAIS AT JESSEBENTLEY05@YAHOO.COM**
Quick Links: Site Info ~ Dance List ~ Contests ~ Gaming ~ History of Carnivale
This year's theme is the colorful tradition of Carnivale, dating to Medieval Venice that is still carried out today in modern times. In fact, our ball coincides with the first day of this year's Venetian Carnival, February 6th, 2010.
Our Dance Master this year is Lord Maurin Lessault (David Barnes) and as is tradition, musical accompaniment will be by the talented Waytes of Carolingia.
Hours:
Site
Opens: 12pm
Dance Practice: 1pm-5pm
Ball: 6pm-9pm
Site Closes: 10pm
Fees:
Adult: $12
Student with a valid ID: $10
Family Maximum: $40
Children under 6: Free
All non-members are subject to the $3 Surcharge
Lord Maurin has added a few new dances to this year's list! Our dances this year are as follows:
2010 Black Rose Ball List
Set I
Lorayne Almain
Horses Bransle
Random's Fancy
Vita Di Cholino
Ly Bens Dystonis
My Lady Cullen
Gracca Amorosa
Maltese Bransle
Rostiboli Gioioso
Catch the Wind
Break I
Hole in the Wall
Set II
Black Almain
Petit Vriens
Gathering Peascods
Quen Quer Que
La Castellana
Fain I Would
Pease Bransle
Belfiore
Heralds In Love
Break II
Court—Carolingian Pavan
Set III
Sellenger's Round
Rufty Tufty
Gelosia
Contrapasso En Due
Fickle Ladies
Anello
Jenny Pluck Pears
Upon A Summer's Day
Gay Gordons
This
year's contests include our ever popular flirting contest, with prizes for
both a lord and lady. A mask contest for the most elaborate Venetian mask,
and a sleeve contest for those who dare to test the sumptuary laws with
outrageously huge, colorful, and uh, would-be-illegal sleeves.
A few tables will be set aside to try your luck at period games of chance while you rest your feet.
Though it probably had much earlier roots, the Carnival in Venice was supposedly first recorded in 1296, when the Senate of the Republic issued an edict declaring the day before Lent as a public holiday. Much as in other cities, Medieval and Renaissance Venetians appear to have celebrated Carnival in several guises. On the one hand, it was an official festival, for the most part staged in Piazza San Marco, the Piazzetta, in the courtyard of the Ducal Palace, or out in the Bacino of San Marco – the basin adjoining the Molo. These events, especially during and after the sixteenth century, celebrated the founding and governing myths of the state – its tranquility, durability, prosperity, fairness, and piety.
Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) and the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. They have always been around Venice. As masks were also allowed during Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise [1]. Maskmakers (mascherari) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild.
Venetian masks can be made in leather or with the original papier-mâché technique. The original masks were rather simple in design and decoration and often had a symbolic and practical
function. Nowadays, most of them are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf and are all hand-painted using natural feathers and gems to decorate.
The
mascherari had their own statute dated 10 April 1436.
They belonged to the fringe of painters and were helped in their task by sign-painters who drew faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes and paying extreme attention to detail.
Learn more about the history of Carnivale here: http://www.venetianmasksshop.com/history.htm
