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What is a quadrille at a ball

The quadrille is a collective set dance, performed in square formation by groups of couples moving through a sequence of figures. At the great Viennese balls, it brings the whole room together at set times: at the Vienna Opera Ball, the midnight quadrille at 12, with further quadrilles at 2 am and 4 am.

Vienna keeps the liveliest form of the tradition. At the 69th Vienna Opera Ball (Wiener Opernball), on Thursday 4 February 2027, the evening follows a fixed order published by the Staatsoper: doors at 8:15 pm, opening at 10 pm, the midnight quadrille on the stroke of 12, then quadrilles at 2 am and 4 am, before the ball ends at 5 am. The midnight quadrille is the moment when the entire room comes down onto the dance floor: unlike the opening, reserved for the committee of selected young couples, it belongs to all the guests. Traditionally, the figures are called out loud as the dance unfolds, which lets novices follow along; no audition is required, unlike for the opening committee, which demands mastery of the left-turning waltz. It is danced in full evening dress, as the ball's dress code is strict: black tailcoat, white shirt, white bow tie and black patent shoes for gentlemen, with gala uniform admitted as an option; a floor-length ball gown for ladies, in any color, with traditional costume and festive dirndl expressly excluded.

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69. Wiener Opernball

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