it's the highlights of the russian bowl season i'm always been invited the most first look to attend an event which they promise me is going to be the height of sophistication and delegates and it's the eighteenth twelfth anniversary both. for over a thousand years the russians have known that a good party needs don't sync down the centuries rich and poor alike have learned the steps put on their costumes and set off to find love patronage or simply a good time. in this suitably graham building almost two hundred people have gathered to perform the classics from the polonaise to the polka all in front of

a live orchestra. you can't help but notice the effort that's gone into their appearance and although i wasn't the only one in modern dress i did feel a little out of place. though i don't see much in the way of the sensory plating but i do know one lady in there that they have to get the right heel for a period of review by arena. so we've got lots of beautiful costumes here. of course this fall here was first dedicated to the war of eighteen twelve it wasn't so much about russia as they but it was the first such event it was held after the war a certain degree of courage was required to hold the ball at that time this stance is where it all began.

and with several events every year they're becoming very popular even if you're not experienced you are encouraged to join in and there are plenty of helpful partners waiting to show you the ropes. movement in music have always stood the russian soul but now in the twenty first century more and more people seem to be learning these traditional courtly dances that hop back to a bygone age i wanted to find out what makes them so appealing to a modern nor dns and how long it might take to get an absolute beginner to the book but. there's a school in moscow which claims it can teach anybody how to dance so i am going to put the theory to the test and apparently there are always sorts of men so hopefully this should be

a place for me. though good evening everyone and today we will learn the viennese waltz which you can dance at the ball roll. up it was time to start learning the basics the twiddling round by myself everything seemed pretty easy but a solo waltz wasn't exactly going to cut it take the lady's right hand good. the gentleman's right hand says from the ladies left shoulder blade a little closer. in time. he. he. to stare at my feet and count out loud we made a few circuits of the room with only minimal damage to earliest hopes. the idea is to get good enough to actually not look like a total idiot to the board. just like the u.k.

yeah find. a story that's not his have you the traffic jam. or instructor demon has been teaching for the best part of twenty years and says he's never seen dancing more popular. though she wasn't the most because it is important because whenever you go to any public place like a restaurant there's always room for dancing with the so you get a feeling of confidence when you know that you can invite a lady to the dance floor. raise your hand. and then whispered you know i think that the first true taste for dancing only comes after three months of practice. but. unfortunately for me i didn't have quite that long if i was going to make it to another daunts i was going to need some serious help do you have a question there's a pool coming up and i really need

a partner. would you come with. a plan for one before. but sect myself a great of a half but clearly i'm just going to have to get myself properly prepared for culture isn't just about dancing and i was going to have to brush up on my fashion and my etiquette. most here we see the most authentic russian romanticism of this is a picnic dress it's accentuated with the light shawl and hat only single women were allowed to have uncovered heads they had highly decorated hairstyles to married women whether at the ball or at home were required to wear hats they danced in the stress of balls but it would be worn only at a local summer gatherings so summer school if we look at the male costume we see the dress code was colorful and return to the fashion scene in color courses the shirts of model mostly course. this is the costume for the middle of the

nineteenth century. that's the sort of thing i've been with for. by this time they are wearing black coats and black trousers in comparison with very elaborate gowns for the ladies the men look like exclamation points bringing attention to female beauty. and want to remind you that you could make a costume like that for me the core question of course brilliant or. excuse me for a moment well this. is how the first mystery. accordions both on the one hand the bulwarks is the most democratic place.

most of all you can invite anyone you like your board so just but if you want to invite a lady who is standing next to a gentleman you should ask his permission first. yet the ballroom is also a very patriarchal place in the past in russia were forbidden but there is one exception if someone stood on your partner's dress like that you were obliged to challenge him to do it only in that instance the emperor permitted just the. cooperation women were able to communicate with fans with this man knew what was being directed at them was was this the final why right arm to the heart without little point means i love you other movements had other meanings this

one means i have no interest when a lady does this it means she likes you. when the lady flaps her family like this that's your signal to invite her to dance and then. stand facing one another the gentleman takes a step to the right. that is gentleman embrace your partner. already. in the. rough. us. step. you have wonderful shoes

and. know what nothing here we have a dress from the middle of the one nine hundred century. that you know this hoop skirt is made of silk taffeta there's about nine leaders here at that time flowers were very fashionable just because now i'll show you my pride and joy this is a carnival gown from the sixteenth century but. i'm not saying it's all sun by hand . all silk and silk and bordered fabric glued such

a beauty. the color of the ball all of this beauty was exempted by the seriousness rigor and restraint in male attire which are there's no good that's the kind of out that we've got for you to give back. so this is going to make me hopefully a fresh little gent of the ac and fifty's now just to see if everything fits but it seems the trend of the day was for very small clothing. for those nice and the best needs to be tight even in paintings you'll see that the male figure it's the females is old and weighs. the small chunks of big because he lays for most the weekend. but locates james well for the next week. like that. so we get finally feel that james the dandy you schol go to the ball.

shows. the women of the time spent about six hours in hair for him to head dress i had to have a high level of professionalism in order to make such a hairstyle unless they used greek statues as models. style uses lots and curls consumer data base hairpiece holds these hair out of fashion we have spirals at the temples in his craft it's a very romantic style and very playful. especially in dance when a girl dances and flips her curls it's amazing. it's

a wonderful thank you to know you're ready for the ball and. we would all sing in the more of your apostle museum. years old and that's recently undergone a long restoration by descendants of its former owners and amazing me everything seemed to go off without a hitch. so we take a little break i think now that we finally got the balls out of the way without too many cups is that what's made you stick with it what you think you process here it's that feeling down meeting new people you're done this atmosphere

music everything together all together it's like a rock you know you get used to it and you get addicted to it i would like to get that they think that. the house used to play host to the aristocracy of the intelligentsia and it's certainly true that in such authentic surroundings and among beautifully dressed people it's easy to lose yourself. and it's possible i may have got slightly carried away. suck. i don't moan satisfaction. i begin.

deadly rivals the decades. if you had fifteen thousand people killing each other in any other country there would be diplomats there would be mediators. self-imposed out costs from society i will cut myself am i going to tax my brother understand my contact immediately. going to leave basically attack the cops of my anger and my frustration. that

upgrade well into the channel. two of the most violent gangs in the us history. is just all model kill or be killed with colors matching the national flag. but this country uses violence when it reaches and then it legitimizes the violence they are made in america on the ati.

mission to teach. dollar has been satisfied and as i rode back towards the twenty first century it was finally time to read a message i've been passed at the darts. james i'd like to invite you to join me at the first russian viennese ball in montrose switzerland it should be a memorable event if you like to attend please join me at the imperial tailoring

company in moscow next monday at noon you'll need to pick out something elegant hope to see you there victor. there was no way i could pass up a chance like this viennese ball is renowned as the best event of the season and i knew that victor was one of the men in charge. now it might be a traditional bore but i don't think the eighteen fifties look is going to cut it in switzerland so i'm here to meet up with victor and hopefully pick up something a little bit more. picture hi james stuff this is yeah well now we need to choose a suit for you i've already chosen the one for me this one please. picture certainly had good taste it brought me to moscow's imperial tailoring

company when they make some of the best clothes in the business. runs. well james and generally look really very good i think fit perfectly but maybe some small items for example your trousers are longer right thing and maybe a bad fake some more buttons. it was just yeah yeah but in general it's perfect and of course there's always a place or something we can always do best ok right. of course that we're talking. here. our james this is your theory you look really perfect thank you very much well i don't think that daniel craig has anything to worry about but you can't help but feel a bit special it's something like this so switzerland because we're coming to get.

a few days in around two and a half thousand kilometers later i'd arrived in the small swiss municipality of montrose and it certainly didn't disappoint. when you use the room yesterday welcome to the film come on top of us so your room is ready this is a room with nicky thank you wow this is a bit special isn't it a five star hotel for a five star event a comic. the viennese ball has taken place in moscow and around europe since two thousand and three it's the brainchild of organizer alexander smuggler and i caught up with him to see why he decided to hold this one in montreaux. first of all we never did a ball in the life. we decided to do it and when we're choosing the place we consulted with some. partners from sweden switzerland

so they said that. look at montreal this is beautiful small town on the lake so they came here spatially to check the place i was impressed so we decided to make both here. more than twenty thousand people have attended alexander's dumpsters and each one is planned down to the last detail how much preparation goes into gaza. it's you know it seems that it is very easy but it is not so definitely. to make a real ball you have several levels of it but you have to bring distress to august first at least once and for any one just all just seen gunners you have to yak about catering to don's flaw in order people have to submit it to the dogs because of this is all. i can already tell it was going to be

a member of the kazan and according to conduct alfred a very multicultural want to. do this evening is really very special because we have different problems to solve and we have singers from russia and we have a belly phone russia and it will fester from it tell italy and i'm from austria so it's an international event absolutely well we'll let you go back because it was so you need a script thank you very much take it away maestro thank you very much that. was. because the orchestra continued that practice i headed back to my room with just an hour to go i had to get ready but there's always time to enjoy if you like this.

passed. i think i can say without a shadow of a doubt that i could get used to this. the guests were beginning to arrive but i couldn't resist one last trip to the hotel's engine room. well my nose has led me to probably the most important place in the hotel this evening the kitchen whether carrying all of these things for the ball i'm going to be a little bit careful because i don't want to get ten angry sets around me that could be dangerous. they're making four courses to

feed four hundred guests so there's not much time to hang around admired their work and with lobster and growled the menu so to say i was looking forward to dinner. making my mouth water but time's getting close. while more and more guests began the night with a glass of champagne i went to meet victor and it turned out he had a rather unexpected surprise in store. like. this and this is my thanks to james we're having one big problem we're liking the debutante at the moment would like to feel and maybe there are never enough men out there always so many beautiful women and never enough men my pleasure if you would if you will have a. great. i had planned to hang back and take part in

some of the big group don't says this time and i was suddenly very nervous if this risks ania's debutant cold it was more important than ever that i didn't mess up still at least i didn't have long to think about it. with dozens of couples performing the figure waltz we did have a few problems with traffic but with a few well timed whirls we made it to b.n. and then we could really enjoy ourselves. you're loving life here you know it might seem like you have

a really pretty it's like my cue to be made so maybe you. can. kick. i think i. have. a karaoke kick because. i talk. but certainly leaves you out of breath and he gave me a chance to chat with samia about why she had decided to become a debutante a met so many different younger people who seem to be taking to this what is it that appeals to this as opposed to you know the traditional kind of going on a friday night is that in a culture that you know i suspect illusion and finish and it comes to this question that it's not if you start to live east it also means. he's here because all of us might feel these are going to get

a little bodies and so on something. as the evening wore on the old distro was replaced by a jazz band and the music became a little less classical but unsurprisingly no one seemed keen to go home. i think the most revealing thing that i can say is i don't want this whole experience to end and maybe that's why people love dogs so that is just pure michael escapism a long way that i can see. you. i didn't expect my journey into bowl culture to bring me this far but it has been a fantastic adventure i'm to my surprise i actually don't think i'll be hiking up my dancing shoes anytime soon.

we might be two hundred years on from the days of war and peace but there is still pools being held both here and abroad you can imagine even the test of a stove of the light to attack. the russian dawns tradition is alive and thriving my think. is to tolstoy would have been. wealthy british style stock.

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