2011 Ball Invitation

 Pitt County HOME
Cordially invites you to attend their sixth annual Historical Ball

Saturday, March 26, 2011

6:00 - 10:00 pm

First Christian Church

2810 East 14th Street

Greenville, NC 27858

Dance workshop: 10-12 noon, same location

2011 Ball Details

Cost: $15.00/person, $60.00 family cap (only applies to immediate family),  a workshop that covers the basics of english country dance, held on the same day,  is included in cost.


Attendance: This is a family event for homeschool families currently teaching teenagers. If you are homeschooling a child that's 13 years or older, then the entire family is eligible to attend. This is not a drop-off event. At least one parent must attend. We understand that circumstances may prevent parents from attending! If this is the case, your child needs to be sponsored by another family. Please contact someone on the committee regarding this exception. Homeschooled graduates are eligible to attend without their parents. If your family would like to bring a guest that is not homeschooled, he/she must be approved by the committee and sponsored by your family (you are responsible for their dress and behavior).  Guests are not included in the family cap.  We reserve the right of refusal in order to preserve a family atmosphere.  Attendance is not limited to Pitt County, NC.  We've been honored with the presence of families from many cities in NC, and a few from other eastern states!  However, we  have an attendance cap of 200, so register early.  If you have any other questions, please ask by posting a comment or emailing us at pittcountyhistoricalball {at} gmail {dot} com.   

Registration:  Registration begins on January 1, 2011 and will end on March 12, 2011.  No money will be accepted at the door.  Please print out the registration form (see sidebar link) and send it in with your check.  Your place at the ball will not be reserved until we receive your funds.

Music and Dance:  Music and dance instruction are provided by Simon Spalding of New Bern, NC.  Please see side link for more information on Simon.   Dances are eighteenth and nineteenth century dances, of the english country sort.  All are group dances, excepting a couple of waltzes sprinkled in.  If you're not familiar with this style of dance, please make sure to attend the workshop on the same morning as the ball!  The workshop is included in your cost.  You can also take a gander in You Tube and search for English Country dance.  We don't dance all the dances posted, but you'll get an idea of what it's like.  But don't panic!  Simon is a good teacher and you'll catch on just fine. 

Costumes: Attendees are encouraged to wear historical costumes from medieval to WWII time periods. Gentlemen may wear formal attire from any time period. Ladies, please give attention to the modesty of your gown! No strapless, spaghetti straps, backless or low-cut gowns. No modern prom attire, please. If parents and siblings cannot obtain or do not want to wear a costume, Sunday-best dresses for ladies and dress shirt, tie and dress pants for boys and men are required.

Food: In the interest of keeping costs the same, we are again asking everyone to bring a tidy finger food.  See the registration form for choices.  You are welcome to bring your favorite appetizer or your particular specialty.  You might even want to bring the recipe!

Our Beginnings

In the spring of 2004, the two oldest Poppe girls and their father attended the Charlotte, NC homeschool ball and loved it! We shared our experiences with our friends, expressing the wish that we could have something similar in Greenville. Molly Nichols was our impetus! She was the encouragement to get this started, and helped to organize our committee. Paula Poppe would do information and registration, Molly took care of the food, and Donna Kay Elks was in charge of decorating. Hope of Glory Ministries, at that time in Winterville, provided their facility free of charge. Musician and historian Simon Spalding agreed to provide music and instruction for English Country dance, so we were all set to go! We held our first ball in November of 2005 with eighty attendees. What fun!  Our attendance has grown steadily each year, to 200 in 2009.