Cincinnatians are preparing to celebrate the anniversary of a Revolutionary War hero's historic visit. French nobleman, the Marquis de Lafayette, fought with the Continental Army, most notably commanding troops at the Siege of Yorktown, the final major battle that led to American independence. Fifty years later, he was celebrated during a return tour of the new United States.
General Lafayette's grand tour brought him to Covington, where he took a barge across the Ohio River to Cincinnati's public landing on May 19, 1825. He was quickly whisked to the Cincinnati Hotel and cheered by a large crowd followed by a grand ball.
A handful of events are planned to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the general's visit.
The celebration
The Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance is spending nine weeks holding open classes, teaching people the types of dances that would have been done during the Regency period when Lafayette visited Cincinnati, including at the ball in his honor.
"We've been doing a lot of research — not me specifically, but people on my team — to find the exact dances that were done at these balls," says Tamara Anderson, artistic director. "We've got old ball cards that we could find them on, and then we've researched them, we've recreated them, and we're going to teach them, and we're actually going to dance them at our ball on April 26."
The classes meet on Wednesdays in a ballroom at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center. Best friends Brittany Baumer and Brianna Fraser attended the first class for the workout and the artistry.
"My bestie, Brianna, loves dancing," says Baumer. "And I was like, 'You know what? I need to change my exercise routine. Why not try something I've never done before?'"
Fraser says she fell in love with vintage dancing years ago.
"There's something about English country dancing that just brings joy to my soul," she adds. "It's fun, it's social, and it's not super awkward because you're constantly changing partners, so you don't have to worry about [not having] anyone to dance with. It's nice."
The friends haven't decided if they'll attend the Lafayette Ball together, but they're thinking about it.
First they have to learn the dance steps.
'So much fun'
Anderson wears a hands-free microphone and stands in the center of the ballroom. About 50 attendees on the first night of classes surround her in a large circle. She has them pair up to learn an introductory dance that involves several patterns, or choreographed steps, they'll use throughout the class in other dances.
After a few practice turns, they're ready to try it with the music. There are a few missteps, but everyone eventually promenades counter-clockwise together while chattering and laughing.
Over the course of nine weeks, participants will learn all kinds of dances like quadrilles and reels. While the classes do build on each other, Anderson says they're basic enough that you can attend just one or two and still be ready to dance the night away at the Lafayette Ball at the end of April.
The ball is open to all, though tickets are limited. Anderson says most people will dress for the time period.
"It is absolutely not required, but I would say most people tend to want to dress up in Regency attire, or something that approximates the look," she says. "All you have to do is basically watch ... 'Bridgerton' or the Jane Austen movies — that's Regency."
Despite the crisp night air blowing through the open ballroom windows, Cathy and Ted Nagel mop their brows at the end of class. Cathy smiles widely and her eyes are twinkling. Ted looks like he's re-thinking the beard he's started growing to match his Regency attire, but he's grinning too.
"Oh, my God, [it was] so much fun," Cathy gushes. "Everybody should take dance lessons, and I can't wait to put the costumes on and do it."
"I get dizzy after a while, but it was very fun. I felt better at the end than I did at the beginning," Ted adds with a laugh.
The dance classes run Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the Lafayette Ball is April 26 at the Glendale Lyceum.
A separate Lafayette Celebration Dinner and Ball is planned on the bicentennial of Lafayette's Cincinnati visit, May 19, at the Cincinnati Masonic Center.
