For the last few years I have traveled to Omaha, NE to attend a Fezziwig Ball sponsored by the Old Dominion Dance group based in Omaha, NE. While it occurs outside of the “spatial” boundaries of Siouxland it is a fun event to watch and even more so for those participating in the dancing that occurred during the Charles Dicken’s story “A Christmas Carol” as Ebenezer Scrooge’s life is viewed by various ghostly visitors helping him find a change of heart during the Christmas season.
Most people attending dress in period outfits and it’s a family friendly dance that with a few instructions are easy to learn, although it never appears that way. It’s tough when one has trouble knowing left from right and clockwise and counterclockwise. And from the attendance it is a very popular event that keeps growing year to year.
This year I only photographed and didn’t film any video. Sometimes it is difficult to do both and be successful. Previously because of work or weather conditions I haven’t always been able to attend. But it’s nice to hang out with folk that just enjoy the holiday and the lesson of Dicken’s story and setting aside anything else for a couple of hours. Life then as now, is never simple, sometimes it just seems so in retrospect. But taking a time out is not a bad thing.
It’s always fun attending various events in and around Siouxland, whether during the holidays or not. To see like-minded folk enjoying themselves and supporting something is always good. The Old Dominion Dance group of Omaha, NE again sponsored a Fezziwg Ball at the Lauritzen Gardens. Attending this year it was nice to see a larger mix of ages, and folk “dressing” for the occasion of an 18th century period.
Having participated in a folk dance group while in college, I always find it fun and enjoyable to see people relive history through some particular form. Most times it is theatre or music, but dance as I learned in college was happening during some very important historical dates and never really gave it much though until a college professor pointed out those facts. History can be illuminating as well as fun.
The dance group always performs a portion of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” involving Ebenezer Scrooge’s fond memory of the Fezziwg dance he attended as a younger man and before life’s intervening circumstances changed his path. The actors for this evening’s portion rehearsed ahead of time although I think after year’s of practice they have their parts down cold. One of these years I will have to stay for the entire evening. But an early morning appointment for bird watching the next day didn’t allow me.
I don’t know if there was any offering of mulled wine but the dance revelers probably didn’t need it to give their spirits a lift. Although, maybe later as the temperature dropped and the prairie breeze picked up.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
lostinsiouxland 