New Home Ball

The annual New Home Ball is held in Orange MA in November, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and organized by Brad Foster.

Event format

The Ball requires advance registration. We hold an afternoon practice session, take a break for dinner on your own, and return for an evening dance with festive attire encouraged. In the afternoon the dances are taught; in the evening most dances have a walk-through and then are called for the first 3–4 times through the dance. A few very familiar and/or easy dances have a walk-through but no calling. One or more dances are done “for those who know” with no evening talk- or walk-through.

In 2022, our careful Covid protocols included programming a slightly shorter and easier ball with 15 dances. Attendance was limited below the 90 dancers the hall otherwise comfortably holds. We chose to forgo our usual refreshment break, though there were breaks for water and socializing.