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{{trope}}
[[File:RackhamCupidsAlley.jpg|
{{quote|
▲{{quote|''"Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much like a ball."''|''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', '''[[Jane Austen (Creator)|Jane Austen]]'''}}
Dancing. An occasion for gathering and celebrating. Also for gossip, intrigue, and romance. Often occurs at other celebrations, such as a feast.
The terms tend to be "balls" for [[Blue Blood]] and [[Royal Blood]] guests (expect [[Gorgeous Period Dress]] and [[Ermine Cape Effect]], if not [[Pimped
Straight-laced members of society may disapprove of the frivolity, particularly if serious things are going on. And when these serious things are war, famine, pestilence and the like, they don't have to be very straight-laced.
Quite often in a story,
[[Super
{{examples|Examples:}}▼
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* In ''[[King of Bandit Jing]]'', there is an arc called "The Masquerade Ball of Zaza." It turns out it's not actually a ball with dancing, but a huge coliseum tournament. However, after Jing manages to steal the object he wants and {{spoiler|have the Queen realize the error of her ways}}, it ends up reverting to being a normal ball. Funnily enough, the beautiful [[Girl of the Week]] isn't shown dancing because [[I Will Wait for You|she's saving her first dance for Jing]].
** It's renamed the "Mas Corrida" which amounts to "Bullfight With People Instead of Bulls". With a lip service story about why the Masquerades turned into a brutal fighting tournament. In a rather nice moment of storytelling, {{spoiler|Jing and the [[Girl of the Week]] actually fight in the finals of the tournament, and it degenerates into something resembling a dance.}}
* Relena's birthday party in ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' featured a ball where she danced with Heero and talked to him about his motives. Then the mechs arrived to assassinate her and the evening kind of went downhill from there.
* In ''[[Yami no Matsuei]]'', while Tsuzuki and Hisoka go undercover to solve a mystery on a cruise, there's a section where the cruise has a dance and ball (complete with a scene of Hisoka dancing with apparent [[Shallow Love Interest]] Tsubaki
* In [[Victorian Romance Emma|Emma: A Victorian Romance]], Emma is convinced to attend one, and is shown to [[She Cleans Up Nicely|clean up nicely]]. The only problem is that she's pretty much [[Blind Without
* ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]'' has one, which includes a subplot with a water-soluble dress and enough [[Les Yay]] to make men ovulate and females have hard-ons. It also doubles as an invitation to throw all everyday logic out of the window, if the previous episodes hadn't already convinced you to do so, with massive epaulets hidden under a shoulderless dress, and a functional outfit made from a tablecloth in a matter of seconds.
* In ''[[Hana Yori Dango]]'', Tsukushi Makino goes on a cruise vacation with the rest of her rich, aristocratic classmates. On the cruise, there's a dance ball. This ball allowed her the opportunity of showing that [[She Cleans Up Nicely]], making the spoiled, [[Lonely Rich Kid]] Tsukasa fall harder for her.
* In [[Yuu Watase]]'s manga ''[[Sakura Gari]]'', Souma brings Masataka to an aristocratic dance ball. It's used as an opportunity to show how Masataka, being a down-to-earth commoner, is unable to dance and feels uncomfortable and out of place in such a fancy party. And although it's shown that [[She Cleans Up Nicely|He Cleans Up Nicely]], the [[Alpha Bitch]] takes it upon herself to "put him in his place" (which results in Souma [[Ho Yay|dancing with Masataka instead]]).
** Not to mention, when a stuck-up aristocrat starts bitching at Souma, Masataka jumps in to call him out on his crap. Katsuragi and Souma are shocked, but they support him in the end. {{spoiler|Ironic, considering that the apparent [[Pet the Dog]] moment from Katsuragi is just a [[Red Herring]] to conceal how much of a [[Yandere]] for Souma he is.}}
* In ''[[D
* In ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'', the club hosts a dance party with a surprise that the chosen Queen gets to receive a kiss from the King (which ends up being Haruhi). After playing [[The Matchmaker|matchmaker]] by putting Tooru and Kanako together and allowing them to have a beautiful waltz, [[Wholesome Crossdresser|Haruhi]] ends up accidentally losing her [[Sacred First Kiss]] to [[Les Yay|Kanako]] while dancing with her. A very drama-filled Dance Ball indeed.
* In the world of ''[[Berserk]]'', the only way for the aristocracy to deal with the constant war, turmoil and bloodshed that they put their citizens and troops through is to hold pimped-out balls for themselves, even if they all end on a horrible note:
** First, the King of Midland holds a ball for Princess Charlotte to which Griffith is invited to. Later that evening, it was announced that Duke Julius and his son were {{spoiler|assassinated by a plot that Griffith orchestrated.}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20150514130539/http://www.mangakong.com/manga/Berserk/007.016/136/ He was pleased with the news to say the least]. [[Psychotic Smile|Very pleased]].
** Later, the King holds a Dance Ball for the Band of Hawk after their victory. All the members of the Band of Hawk dress fancily as nobles. Both [[Action Girl|Caska]] and [[Men Are Uncultured|Guts]] are shown to be extremely uncomfortable at such fancy social events (especially while wearing such frilly and expensive clothing instead of armor). For Caska, however, the series made it clear that [[She Cleans Up Nicely]], despite [[One Of The Guys|her protests]]. (And Guts's reaction makies it [[Crowning Moment of Funny|even better]]). Oh, and then {{spoiler|a botched assassination attempt happened on Griffith by the Queen and her mooks. Don't worry, Griffith is [[Disney Death|alive and well]] in [[Make It Look Like an Accident|order to burn the Queen and her mooks alive]] with the help of [[The Mole|another mook]] who he had [[
** A few volumes later, Farnese is shown attending a ball that her rich, aristocratic father hosts. There she dances with her [[Arranged Marriage|fiancee, Roderick]]. Of course, true to ''[[Berserk]]'' fashion, the party ends with huge amounts of violence and bloodshed via demonic tigers and and soldiers from Kushan. What better way to end a grand evening in the Berserkerverse?
* In ''[[Gankutsuou]]'', while Franz and Albert were visiting the Carnival on Luna, Franz was shown attending a ball and dancing with the Marchioness. Of course, he has a really hard time enjoying the ball when the aristocrats there warn him that [[Horrible Judge of Character|Albert]], being out alone at night, is probably going to get mugged and beaten up (which is exactly what happened, plus getting [[Damsel in Distress|kidnapped]]).
* In ''[[Blood
* In the ''[[Black Cat (
* In ''[[
* ''[[Code Geass]]'' : The Sino-Brittanian pre-wedding party is just such an example, complete with plenty of [[Melodrama|drama]] when Zero & Co. [[Wedding Smashers|crashes the party]]. {{spoiler|And the day after he does it again, because [[Large Ham|Lelouch can't do anything in moderation]].}}
* At the end of the sixth episode in the first season of the anime ''[[
* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' has a HUGE ball in the Magical World, where Negi and Co. are invited by Governor Godel. It turns out to be ''very'' plot important, as well as being filled with requisite amounts of [[Ship Tease]].
* ''[[Pandora Hearts]]'' has a fondness for balls that end...badly. The ball for Oz's coming of age ceremony at the very beginning of the series ends up with the Baskervilles attacking and Oz getting thrown into the [[The Underworld|Abyss]]. The next major ball we see occurs during the Isla Yura arc in his manor. It begins with [[Pimped
* ''[[
== [[Fairy Tale
* In "[[Cinderella (
* In [[The Brothers Grimm (
* In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130718151309/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/donkeyskin/stories/catskin.html Catskin]", the heroine, having escaped an [[Arranged Marriage]], works in a [[Scullery Maid|menial position]] at the castle, but she dresses up for the ball and wins the prince's heart.
* In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130802235809/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/donkeyskin/stories/bear.html The Bear]", the [[
* In [[The Brothers Grimm (
* In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130718143820/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/donkeyskin/stories/caporushes.html Cap O' Rushes]", the heroine is driven out by her father and takes a menial job, but dresses up for a dance and wins the master's son.
* In [[
* In [[The Brothers Grimm (
* In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20131017031044/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/twelvedancing/stories/katiecrackernuts.html Kate Crackernuts]", Kate discovers that the sick prince is being forced by [[The Fair Folk]] to ride to their hill and dance to exhaustion every night; she [[
* [[The Fair Folk]]'s dances are very, very, very dangerous. Mortals who see them are often caught up in the dancing and are unable to stop. The lucky ones don't crumble into dust when it finally ends. One folk explanation of tuberculous was that its victims were forced to dance every night at the fairy hills, and wasted away for the lack of sleep.
== [[Film]]
* Disney's ''[[Beauty and
** Of course, the Beast has his own, personal ballroom, so yeah...
* Disney's adaptation of ''[[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]'' had one, of course, as it was part of the original fairy tale.
** Cinderella has to plan another one in the direct-to-DVD sequel ''Cinderella II''.
* In ''[[Anastasia]]'', Rasputin curses the royal family during a ball to celebrate the Romanovs' multiple centuries of rule over Russia. It works, because shortly afterwards [[Hammer and Sickle Removed For Your Protection|not-Lenin and the not-Bolsheviks]] raid the palace and Anastasia barely makes it out of there.
* In ''[[The Princess and
* Almost any film about high society in any period of history, particularly an era known for its [[Gorgeous Period Dress]], will have at least one scene set at a ball or other grand party. Movies based on the novels of [[Jane Austen]], [[Edith Wharton]] or [[Henry James]] will almost certainly have a
▲* Almost any film about high society in any period of history, particularly an era known for its [[Gorgeous Period Dress]], will have at least one scene set at a ball or other grand party. Movies based on the novels of [[Jane Austen]], [[Edith Wharton]] or [[Henry James]] will almost certainly have a [[Dancesand Balls]] scene, for example.
* In the fourth ''[[Harry Potter]]'' film, there's the huge Yule Ball, with pretty much ''everyone'' dancing. One of the highlights of the event was the opportunity to show Hermione [[She Cleans Up Nicely|looking unusually beautiful when she tries]]. Mind you, this is taken straight from the book.
* In ''[[Enchanted]]'', being a sort of parody on [[Fairy Tale
* In ''[[
* In Sofia Coppola's ''[[Marie Antoinette (
* In [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Alice in Wonderland (
* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (
** Even more hilariously, the vampires are only able to get in because they were invited. After all, they ''are'' seniors!
* ''[[Fort Apache]]'' has two dances, one in honour of Washington's birthday, the other hosted by the
* ''[[Waterloo]]'': The [[Truth in Television|Duchess of Richmond's ball]] on the eve of hostilities.
* ''[[Mona Lisa Smile (
* ''[[Back to The Future]]''!
* The New Year's ball at the end of ''[[
* The ending of ''[[The Princess Diaries]]'' takes place at one.
* The tension in the family comes to a head during one when Lilli enters looking almost exactly like her mother in ''[[Snow White:
== [[Literature]] ==
* [[Jane Austen]] ''loves'' this trope: ''[[Emma]]'', ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', ''[[Mansfield Park]]'', and ''[[
** Considering that balls were a staple of upper-class social gatherings in late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century Britain, this makes a certain amount of sense.
** Reading ''Pride and Prejudice'' for the first time and coming across the page quote was when I started to realise just how awesome Bingley is. He gets overlooked as a character, but he's pretty damn awesome.
* Many significant events happen at balls in ''[[War and Peace]]''.
* ''[[Gone
* The Yule ball in ''[[Harry Potter]] and the Goblet of Fire''.
** The Yule Ball has become a very popular plot point for a lot of fanfiction writers, a good many ignoring the fact that it only is supposed to take place during the Triward Event and instead treating it like a wizarding Homecoming/Prom. This provides golden opportunity to put their characters in [[Costume Porn|elaborately-described dresses]] and have a [[Dance of Romance]], or at least show off their favorite couples.
* In [[Patricia
* Sadly, this is a relatively underused trope in ''[[Discworld]]'', as Lord Ventinari has no balls. In fact, there's a well known song about that...
** There is a ball in the ''[[
** And while wizards don't have balls either (ahem), they do hold their annual Excuse Me.
* In ''[[Mistborn]]'', these are such a big deal that their ballrooms' designs are based on real-world cathedrals.
* In ''Nightlight'', the ''Harvard Lampoon'''s spoof of ''[[Twilight (
* In [[Lewis Carroll]]'s ''[[
* Ballroom style dancing makes up a significant portion of the High Vor social scene in [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s [[Vorkosigan Saga]].
* In [[John C. Wright]]'s ''[[Hermetic Millenium
* Annie Moffat's St. Valentines Day Ball in [[Little Women]].
* In [[
* In [[The Witch Watch]], Sir Brook invites Lord Moxley and the other influential noblemen who failed to support him to a dinner and ball. And of all places it's there he chooses to {{spoiler|announce his treachery.}}
=== [[
* In ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined (TV)|Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'''s episode "Colonial Day", there's a celebration with a lot of dancing to celebrate the election of Gaius Baltar to the vice-presidency.▼
* In ''[[The Tudors]]'', there are a ''lot'' of [[Dancesand Balls]] (complete with feasts). Of course, the show ''is'' about the palace life and reign of Henry the VIII...▼
* In ''[[Firefly (TV)|Firefly]]'', the episode "Shindig" features Mal going to a fancy ball with Kaylee (since Inara was already going with [[Jerkass|Atherton]] [[Bastard Boyfriend|Wing]]). However, in the end, the ones dancing together are Mal and Inara, and Kaylee ends up spending her time [[One Of The Guys|discussing]] [[Wrench Wench|machinery]] with the other gentlemen guests instead. Mind you, she's having a ''wonderful'' time.▼
''Earth feet, loam feet, lifted in country mirth.'' }}▼
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
▲* In ''[[Battlestar Galactica
▲* In ''[[The Tudors]]'', there are a ''lot'' of
▲* In ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'', the episode "Shindig" features Mal going to a fancy ball with Kaylee (since Inara was already going with [[Jerkass|Atherton]] [[Bastard Boyfriend|Wing]]). However, in the end, the ones dancing together are Mal and Inara, and Kaylee ends up spending her time [[One
** In fact, Kaylee tries to play the part of the usual Jane Austen romantic girl at the party. She's promptly belittled by several bitchy girls and is rescued by one of the gentlemen she winds up talking engines with. She winds up enjoying that so much that she ignores a fellow asking her to dance.
** Interestingly, [[Word of God|the director's commentary]] reveals the dancing sequence was originally going to be much longer, with an extended gag of Mal stumbling over the steps of each new dance before announcing that he actually knew this one and have the plot-relevant conversation over the top of it. Due to pacing issues, only this last segment was left in.
* This trope is everywhere on ''[[Gossip Girl]]'' - the Kiss on the Lips Dance, Snowflake Ball, etc.
* Lampshaded in the first season of ''[[
== [[Music]] ==
* AC/DC claims that they have the [[Stealth Pun|biggest balls]] [[Freud Was Right|of all]] in the aptly named ''Big Balls''.
== [[
▲* [[TS Eliot|T. S. Eliot]]'s "East Coker"
▲{{quote| ''you can hear the music''<br />
▲''Of the weak pipe and the little drum''<br />
▲''And see them dancing around the bonfire''<br />
▲''the association of man and woman''<br />
▲''In daunsinge, signifying matrimonie''<br />
▲''A dignified and commodious sacrament.''<br />
▲''Two and two, necessarye coniunction,''<br />
▲''Holding eche other by the hand or the arm''<br />
▲''Whiche betokeneth concorde. Round and round the fire''<br />
▲''Leaping through the flames, or joined in circles,''<br />
▲''Rustically solemn or in rustic laughter''<br />
▲''Lifting heavy feet in clumsy shoes,''<br />
▲''Earth feet, loam feet, lifted in country mirth.'' }}
* The second act of the Lloyd-Webber version of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]'' begins with a massive masquerade ball (which the Phantom, of course, crashes).
* ''[[Wicked (
* Aaron Copland's ''Rodeo'' includes dances at the end, "Saturday Night Waltz" and "Hoe-Down", at which the romances of the ballet are settled.
* Towards the end of ''[[Les Misérables (
* The Dance at the Gym in ''[[West Side Story]]''.
* The Embassy Ball in ''[[My Fair Lady]]''.
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== [[Web Comics]] ==
* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' does [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081121 their version] of "[[Cinderella (
** There's also Agatha's [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090311 outburst] about her friends wondering which guy she'll end up with.
{{quote|
...
'''Agatha:''' ... Well of course. Assuming you're still alive. }}
** And then it happens. After they all meet again in England. There was a great big fancy party, they did wear pretty dresses, Agatha danced with ''all'' the boys, and everything was sugar hearts and flowers, or at least there was observable excess of sugar. Since this happened in a palace of [[God-Emperor|Her Undying Majesty Albia]], the inevitable ensuing chaos did not exceed the level she considers entertaining. Despite involving [[Mad Scientist]] circus, disguised and undisguised [[Super Soldier|Jägermonsters]], ladies who have read too much bodice-ripper novels, Agatha showing off her engineering prowess a little, some of Albia's loyal vassals being flinchy in the presence of a real Heterodyne, intrigues of nobility and the hostess' own meddling.
* ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''
* [[Strays]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110830130551/http://www.straysonline.com/comic/173.htm The party includes dancing]
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Erstwhile]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20130826194556/http://www.erstwhiletales.com/allfur-10/#.T2_CCNm6SuI All Furs goes to the ball.]
* In ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (
* At the Taurëcuiva Festival in ''[[
== [[Web Original]] ==
* In ''[[
* In ''[[The Gungan Council]]'', there are at least three are hosted each year, and they're ''usually'' non-violent.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[My Little Pony
== [[Real Life]] ==
* [[Screw the War, We're Partying|The ball before the Battle of Waterloo]] became a legend.
{{reflist}}
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