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Once again the Main Ballroom of the elegant Supper Club was filled to the max with avid Swing dancers attending the Swing Ball produced by Lo-Fi Entertainment. Many of the dancers came in vintage-looking dresses and suits. There was a group of people who came all the way from Rhode Island just for the event. The dancefloor was packed and it was quite hard to dance without bumping into other people. The live music opened with Ron Sunshine and Full Swing which I totally missed because they were done playing at 9 PM which was before I got there. The main band of the evening was George Gee's Swing Orchestra. Throughout their performance several vocalists took the mic. Ron Sunshine himself also performed some vocals and played his harmonica solos. The stage had an interesting setup that looked like a fancy apartment living room on the left and the kitchen on the right. Not sure if this was done just for this event or if it was left over from some show that was going on at the Supper Club during that time, but the kitchen top fit the DJ equipment used to play music while the live bands were on break.

Several times throughout the night the DJ would announce to clear the front of the dancefloor for the World Famous Pontani Sisters. First time I heard the announcement, I thought that it would be a Swing dance performance, but as a nice diversion from the main theme of the night, it turned out to be something totally different. Three women came out in skimpy costumes resembling the ones used in Brazilian carnivals because of the huge decorations on their heads. Those decorations looked like Hershey Kisses with white feathers stuck into them. Each one of the ladies had a face of some guy attached to the those feathers. They performed a burlesque full of cute and erotic :) moves. For their next act they came out as Indians and were dancing to the breakdance music. Most of the photos I took that night were of the Pontani Sisters. Check all of them out here.

For a comprehensive list of New York City partner dance events like this one, check out dancenyc.info.

Today I attended the annual Russian Spring Ball (a.k.a. Russian Nobility Ball) that took place at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. As always two ballrooms were used. The Grand Ballroom featured the dinner, dancing to a jazz orchestra and a performance of a Ukranian dance group. The Baroque Room featured a Russian folk band which played Russian and other European folk music. They also played several Tangos.

The Ball is organized by The Russian Nobility Association in America, Inc.

Click here for photos.

Video clip of the performance of a Ukranian dance group:

Read more about the ball in this article published on Alexander Palace Time Machine website.

Thanks to my friend Sabine who translated this article into English. Unfortunately it turnes out that it is really geared towards an Austrian reader. Some of the things they mention there do not make sense to me. My German co-worker who has lived in Austria helped me with the meaning of some of the words that are underlined in the article. My own account of the ball may be more suitable for a Non-Austrian reader. But here is the translation anyway:

"The Star Spangled Banner"– the United States national anthem opened the "New Viennese Opera ball" in New York on the night into Saturday. Approximately 500 US guests put their hands on their hearts. They also hummed along to the sound of Lehar's "Lippen schweigen". It wasn't the Opera, but the patinöse Plaza at Central Park, where the more or less boisterous banquet took place. But for $400-$600, the quasi famous Americans were offered the full program: junior ladies committee and gentlemen committee with crowns and tuxedos, polonaises with fans, springtime voices and Danube waltz, Bat medley and bat quadrilles including goulash at midnight, schnitzel, Veltliner, beer and "Empress Elizabeth" pralines. US-heart, what more could you wish for? And the spoiled New Yorkers were visibly content with the first original Opera ball offspring. Opera ball chief Elisabeth Gürtler, ensured that the quality of the ball was indeed adequate. City Hall "Foreign Minister" and Economic Chamber President Walter Nettig as well as town-councilor Werner Faymann, who arrived as a replacement for mayor Häupl, were also content. Nettig honored Coca-Cola Vice president Clyde Tuggle with a Viennese medal. "It is these banquets which lead to close business ties and perhaps because of this one US-company will – among other things – open a site in Vienna every week. Coca Cola's Tuggle stated: "Our European headquarters are located in Vienna – and we do more business in Europe than in the US. Certain transatlantic problems may be easier to solve during those balls". And Werner Faymann says: "Business deals are also closed on an emotional basis, and an opera ball like this brings the domestic economy a little bit closer to the US." Summary of the Opera ball in the Big Apple: "Wine, women, songs and huge business deals just like at home at the Danube. There is only thing missing for the opera ball to be an authentic one: Lugners.

Crowned and tuxed: the ladies and gentlemen junior committee at their grand appearance at the “The Plaza” next to Central Park Walter Nettig with Coca Cola boss Tuggle Werner Faymann with debutants Princely appearance: Sayn Wittgenstein, Morton, Gürtler

If you go to Central Park on a weekend to the Angel Tunnel next to the fountain, you will see a strange looking man performing operatic vocals while playing the violin and stomping with his feet with attached percussion shakers. His voice changes from high-pitched soprano to the low sounds of a baritone. He is dressed in an outfit consisting of chains and a loincloth. By looking at him and hearing him sing in a language that no one understands you would think that he is from some exotic place far away. Yet when some curious spectators come over to him to ask a question, he speaks with a normal voice with no accent what so ever. Here is the video I took of him serenading to a friend of mine:

When a woman came over to buy one of his CDs, he autographed it with both hands at the same time. The man calls himself Thoth. Here is more information about him:

Thoth Official Website metroactive.com University Of Calgary Gountlet Village Voice The documentary on Thoth is a winner of the Academy Awards of 2002

Thanks to everyone who came to my birthday party. Also thanks for the nice gifts. Special thanks to my friend Amy who made this beautiful and delicious cake for me even though she could not make it to the party. This was very nice of you and I really appreciate this, Amy!

Click here for photos.

Videos

Hustle with Mihoko to the beautiful rendition of "Rock With You" sung by Kay.	Stream Download (4.5 MB)
The first and "The Last Waltz" of the party with Sabine. Vocals by Kay.	Stream Download (3 MB)
Romantic duet of Raphael and Kay.	Stream Download (2.3 MB)
"Happy Birthday" oratorio.	Stream Download (1.3 MB)
Birthday Dance - my first time leading 2 women at the same time in Swing	Stream Download (4.9 MB)
Kerrie's hit single "Stand By Your Man"	Stream Download (4.4 MB)
"Unchain My Heart" performed by dynamic duo of Raphael and James	Stream Download (4.9 MB)
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) Championship
Kerrie vs Joanna	Stream Download (3.3 MB)
Raphael vs James	Stream Download (3 MB)
Raphael vs MC	Stream Download (0.4 MB)
Kerrie vs Clayton	Stream Download (2.7 MB)
Clayton vs his friend	Stream Download (2.7 MB)

<img src=http://images5.fotki.com/v70/photos/6/6766/864814/Img_4338a-vi.jpg align=left>This is exactly what was on my mind as Kerrie and I were leaving my apartment to go to some mysterious event to which Kerrie took me out as a surprise birthday present. She told me about it weeks in advance and I have been mystified during all this time because I had no clue what it was. What augmented the mystery is the fact that she told me to get an ascot and a vest for this event. I knew her fascination with vintage clothing, but where could she be taking me around our neighborhood on a Friday night where I could be wearing this? (She told me it would be 5-minute cab ride from my apartment.) Being very busy I did not have a chance to buy an ascot, but did manage to get a vest with a matching bow tie. When Kerrie saw me in it, she approvingly nodded.

We caught a cab and Kerrie quickly muttered the destination address to the driver before I completely situated myself in the cab. I could only hear her say "50th street". During the cab ride I constantly tried to guess the place we were going to, but could not until we approached the Waldorf Astoria. I could not believe it! For a moment I thought that she reciprocated my favor of renting a luxury suite in the same hotel for <a href=http://journals.rpungin.fotki.com/blog/entry/srkwwfsggt/>;her birthday</a>. I asked her if she did, and she said, "Well *I* did not rent the suit." Puzzled even more, I just decided to not ask any more questions and just go with the flow.

So far it has been a déjà vu of her birthday party. We entered through the same entrance to the Waldorf Towers as back in February and the familiar faces at the reception desk smiled at us. One of the people at the desk confirmed with Kerrie if we were going to "the magic show". Kerrie replied, "yes" mentioning to them that it was supposed to be a surprise for me. This giveaway together with a sign on a wall that read "Chamber Magic" finally drew away the clouds of mystery surrounding the destination of our journey. It was a very pleasant surprise for me, since I have always been fascinated by magic tricks and always loved to see them being performed.

We were escorted to the familiar private elevator bank and zoomed to 30-something floor. We entered a luxury suite very similar to the one I rented for Kerrie's birthday. The rooms where filled with luxury old-fashioned furniture, the walls were covered with ornate wallpaper and fancy chandeliers where hanging from the ceiling. We were greeted by the magician himself - Steve Cohen. He was wearing gray tails and beige vest. His purple did not match anything else in his outfit, but still looked good. He checked off Kerrie's name on the list and invited us to proceed to the living room mentioning to Kerrie that she could hang her coat in the bedroom's closet if she so desired. She went there and I waited for her to come back.

Then we entered the living room which had a collection of about 5 rows of chairs arranged in a theatre formation facing the fireplace and a big mirror above it. Classical music was playing in the background coming out from portable speakers located on the table in the back. The show was supposed to start at 9 PM and we got there about 10 minutes early. There were already some people there and Kerrie and I got a seat in the third row. The rest of the people were dressed nicely, but Kerrie and I fit the room ambience the most with my bow tie and vest and her vintage toque. As we sat down, Kerrie told me that the bedroom looked very nice. That made me look forward to taking some photos after the show.

Soon Mr. Cohen entered the living room. Even though the show had not officially begun, he made an announcement for us to take a piece of paper that was located in the middle of the program booklet and write down our favorite drink on it. It could be any drink - hot, cold, and alcoholic or not. He proceeded to hand out Waldorf Towers branded pens and told us that he would not make that announcement again and we should tell this to the people who come later. I put down Mango Madness Snapple remembering that this was the drink that I ordered most often when I used to go for lunch to a Chinese restaurant Ho-Yip when I used to work on Wall Street. Kerrie put down Poland Spring water after I reminded her that she often carried it in her hand bag.

Soon the room filled in with more people, the music somehow turned itself off and Mr. Cohen came back in the living room and officially started the show. He opened with a preamble saying that the setting of the show in a luxury antique private suite was meant to be similar to the one performed in the old days by the entertainers hired by wealthy aristocracy. It was meant to be very close up and personal. Then he proceeded with the magic tricks. I don't really remember them all now, but they were all very impressive. He started by performing some cool tricks with cards. He had the audience participate in shuffling them, cutting the deck and picking some random cards. Then he would guess the cards they picked by "reading their mind". He then was able to pour the drinks that were written on the pieces of paper from the same kettle! He made people find a random word in a book and tell what it was. As he was touching one person with a feather, he was able to make another person feel the touch. He borrowed a watch from a member of the audience and was able to change time on it without touching it. He was able to draw the same thing as a member of the audience drew without looking at the drawing. He found a professional doctor in the audience and had her check his pulse as he stopped his heartbeat for several minutes. The doctor was very impressed. The list goes on, but I don't want to spoil it for people who have not seen the show.

After the show <a href=http://rpungin.fotki.com/events/chamber_magic/img_4339.html>;Kerrie signed Mr. Cohen's guest book</a> and we took <a href=http://rpungin.fotki.com/events/chamber_magic/img_4340.html>;a picture with him</a>. Then we proceeded to check out the rest of the suite. Kerrie <a href=http://rpungin.fotki.com/events/chamber_magic/img_4342.html>;got so comfortable that she did not want to leave</a>. I <a href=http://rpungin.fotki.com/events/chamber_magic/img_4343.html>;sat down at a desk</a> to go over the amazing magic tricks listed in the show program.
Then we finally decided to leave so we headed to the front hallway. At that moment Mr. Cohen's wife came in with their child. There were also couple of people from the audience who were on their way out. So Mr. Cohen offered to show one more trick, this time performed by his son who looked like about 2 years old. He had one guy draw on a sheet of paper anything he wanted but simple enough for a two-year old to think of. The guy ended up drawing a heart. And when Steve asked his son what the guy drew on the paper, he answerd "Heart". That was quite amazing!

To be continued...

On Easter Sunday God was good to us. Contrary to the predictions of the meteorologists, He did not send the rain. So we dressed up in our Easter outfits and joined the Easter Parade held on 5th Avenue in New York City. This was the first time I saw it in person and I was impressed by creative hats that people were wearing.

Photos Photo Comments

Videos:
Easter Parade 2005
Easter Parade 2006

On Saturday night Kerrie and I hosted an Easter Egg Painting party. My apartment has been transformed into something resembling a kindergarden. The cute pink rabbit in high heels was in charge of labeling the cups containing the paint to make sure that no one dinks the yukky substense by mistake. Actually the red paint was identical in color to the berry punch that I served for drinks. My friends and I have produced some creative works of art. Later we watched the movie Easter Parade which made me to look forward to the parade the next morning and seeing all those fancy hats. Those of us who are die-hard dancers went to the Rainbow Room to finish the night. Not only we got to dance, but also we performed on stage. My friend Amara got a chance to sing with the grandson of Cab Calloway as well as to perform some opera areas under my piano accompaniment. I got to do some impressions of Elvis Presley.

Photos Photo Comments

Easter Egg Painting Party 2005

A friend of mine found this article that was published in an Austrian newspaper Krone. If you don't want to bother reading the English translation, you can just suffice with seeing me in the top photo. I am the second guy from the left. For my own account of the ball please click here.

For any New Yorker who loves Viennese Waltz and Viennese culture, The New Opera Ball is a place to experience the most authentic representation of both without going to an airport. An 18-person orchestra was flown in from Vienna to play at the event. The choreographer from the Vienna State Opera came to New York to conduct the rehearsals for the opening ceremony. The authentic Austrian food was prepared by the chef that cooks for the Austrian Olympic Team. The ball featured the performances of famous Viennese opera singers. The New Opera Ball in New York is the only event that is officially endorsed by the Vienna Opera Ball in Austria, which may very well be the most famous society ball in the world. The New Opera Ball took place at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel, which is a common venue for society balls held in New York City.

My friend Kerrie and I were among the 20 couples who took part in the ball's opening ceremony during which we performed a vintage court dance followed by the traditional Viennese Waltz. We attended the four two-hour rehearsals held at The Plaza on Monday through Thursday evenings. The rehearsals where directed by Alexander Hysek - the Master of Ceremonies of the original Vienna Opera Ball. He came to New York from Austria specifically to conduct the rehearsals. On Friday - the night of the ball - we had the dress rehearsal. Men were dressed in tails and women were wearing the debutante snow-white gowns. In the choreography there was one move which was called "Careful Crown". In that move the gentleman's hand went over the lady's head and we had to be careful not to knock the crowns that the ladies were wearing. There were hair dressers on sight to take care of women's hair and attach the crowns. However, to take the crowns off at the end of the ball was women's own responsibility.

After the dinner was finished, the opening ceremony began. The white grand piano that was used for the live background music during the dinner was rolled away from the middle of the dance floor and the members of The Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra entered the stage. They played the sounds of a fanfare and the ball's Master of Ceremonies Alexander Hysek made a short introductory speech sounding very similarly to Arnold Schwarzenegger. After the orchestra played the American and Austrian national anthems, the 20 debutante couples proceeded to walk out to the middle of the dance floor one behind the other to the sounds of a Polonaise played by the orchestra. Kerrie and I were number three in line. The first two couples where from Austria who flew in early to assist with the rehearsals. We were faced by hundreds of ball attendees as well as dozens of cameras in their hands and in the hands of many photographers who were right next to the stage probably blocking the view of the people sitting at the nearby tables. At the end of the procession we congregated at the base of the stage making room for the Austrian opera singers to perform two songs. The first singer was Marcela Cerno performing Frühlingsstimmenwalzer, op. 410 by Johann Strauß Jr. She was followed by Adrianne Pieczonka and Joachim Moser performing Lippen schweigen by Franz Lehár. After the singers were finished, we walked back out on the dance floor two couples in a row to form the formation for our main dance number - a vintage European court style dance performed in synch by all couples. Following the court dance the music changed to Strauss' Blue Danube and we embarked on the twirling journey around the dancefloor dancing the Viennese Waltz as the audience burst with applause. After our Walz performance, the Master of Ceremonies called "Alles Walzer" (everybody waltz) and in a matter of minutes the dancefloor was filled to the max by the people from the audience joining the debutante couples. At this point the Waltz changed into something that resembles the New York City subway during the rush hour.

Dancing in the Grand Ballroom continued past midnight. At some point the Vienna Opera Orchestra was replaced by a smaller band playing a variety of ballroom dance music. After midnight the Baroque Rooom located next to the Grand Ballroom was opened. It resembled a night-club disco with light effects and a DJ playing a good mix of contemporary dance music to which the ball patrons got a chance to shake their booty free-style while still wearing their tuxedoes and ball gowns. I did not miss a chance to show off with some nice hustle dancing.

Those of us who got too exhausted from all the dancing could replentish our energy with the food served at the "Midnight Buffet" The food featured authentic Austrian frankfurters and some other dish who's name I forgot. Also ther were many differnet kinds of deserts available.

The ball continued until 4AM. After around 11 PM the dancefloor in the Grand Ballroom was not that crowded so there was plenty of room to dance. It was one of the most fun balls I've been to.

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My Photos - Professional Photos at ofoto.com

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Videos

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Dressing Room
Perfect Dress	Stream Download (0.9 MB)
With How Many Layers?	Stream Download (2.3 MB)
Rehearsal
Angle 1	Stream Download (4.4 MB)
Angle 2	Stream Download (4.8 MB)
Opening Ceremony
National Anthems	Stream Download (2.8 MB)
Fächer-Polonaise, op. 525 by Carl Michael Ziehrer Entry of the Young Ladies' and Gentlemen's Dance Committee	Stream Download (2.7 MB)
Frühlingsstimmenwalzer, op. 410 by Johann Strauß the Younger sung by Marcela Cerno	Stream Download (3.3 MB)
Lippen schweigen by Franz Lehár sung by Adrianne Pieczonka and Joachim Moser	Stream Download (3.3 MB)
Entry march from Der Zigeunerbaron by Johann Strauß the Younger danced by the Dance Committee	Stream Download (6.7 MB)
Opening Waltz - An der schönen blauen Donau, op. 314 by Johann Strauß the Younger danced by the Dance Committee	Stream Download (9.9 MB)
Chatting after the performance	Stream Download (9.9 MB)
Kerrie & Raphael Dancing
Waltz	Stream Download (3.7 MB)
Samba	Stream Download (2.6 MB)
Copacabana	Stream Download (3.4 MB)
Cha Cha	Stream Download (1.1 MB)
Foxtrot	Stream Download (0.8 MB)
Tango	Stream Download (3.6 MB)
Polka	Stream Download (1.2MB)
Waltz In The Hall	Stream Download (0.9MB)

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Related Links

My blog pages related to the ball and Viennese waltz:

• New Opera Ball published in an Austrian newspaper
• Viennese Opera Ball 2001 (At Waldorf Astoria)
• Waltzing In Vienna (from Amateur Dancers Magazine)
• Johann Strauss Week In Vienna

News Articles:

• Vienna Opera Ball to Debut in New York

News Articles in German (with rough English Translation):

• Wiener Opernball goes New York (English)
• Rauschende Ballnacht: Wiener Opernball in New York (English)
• "Alles Walzer" in New York (English)
• Hamburger holten Opernball nach USA (English)
• Opernball verzauberte zum zweiten Mal New York (English)
• Wiener Opernball findet zweites Zuhause (English)

On February 15, 2004 my friend Kerrie (pictured on the left) had her birthday party at the The Waldorf Towers. I helped her to plan and host this party which turned out to be the chance to experience the luxury life at least for one night. For those of you who don't know, the Waldorf is an official NYC landmark, as well as being the official hotel of U.S. Presidents when they are in New York City. So far there have been six decades of American Presidents staying there, not to mention many Kings and Queens from other countries. The only other place in the world that has hosted more heads of state than the Waldorf is Buckingham Palace. Besides having a reputation for huge, opulent guest suites, it is also well-known in the society circuit for hosting grand balls and galas. Harper's Bazaar said in 1897: "Nowhere else in the world has any hotel come to play so important a part in the social life of a great city." The NY Daily News said in 1981 (on the 100th anniversary of the Waldorf): "The hotel has become a symbol of all that is grand about New York."

Prince Rainier & Grace Kelly held their engagement party there. Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby used to perform and live there. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was presented as a debutante in the hotel's Grand Ballroom. Among the nobles & celebrities who have stayed and lived in residence at the hotel are the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, the Dalai Lama, Albert Einstein, Cole Porter, Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, and the list goes on and on...

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Suite

The birthday party was held in a 3-bedroom Empire Suite on a top floor, which was only accessible via a private elevator, for which you had to have a key card. The private elevator was not visible from the main lobby-- you had to enter through an unmarked mirrored door, which made the event all the more exciting since the guests did not really know where they were headed as they were being brought up one by one. Each bedroom (1, 2, 3) had its own private bathroom, and two of the bedrooms also had private dressing rooms attached. Besides the bedrooms, the suite had a large living room and separate dining room. We counted a total of 13 closets in the suite. Here are the views from a window at night and during the day. The regular tenant of that suite is the CEO of Verizon. Here is the video of the hostess giving the tour of the suite:
Stream Download (9.6 MB)

Dress Code
The dress code for the party was "Suspenders and Toques".

Men
The birthday girl requested that all the gents wear suspenders over non-white dress shirts, with bowties optional. To encourage them to adhere to the dress code, she told them that she thought men in suspenders looked very sexy. And then she added that, since it was her birthday, they should humor her. Seven out of the nine guys came in suspenders, much to the embarassment of the two who did not!

Women
Miss K is also very taken with women's vintage fashions, so she requested of the ladies to come wearing toques and ladylike shoes. For those who did not manage to procure such hats before the party, she brought a charming round hatbox containing her own personal collection of toques, and allowed the ladies to select one of hers to wear for the evening.

Here are the group photos of both men and women posing in their party outfits.

Here are some miscellaneous photos of the people at the party.

Activities

Charades (Rules)	Casino (Roulette Rules Blackjack Rules)	Limbo Video: Stream Download (13 MB)
Twister (Rules) Video: Stream Download (1.5 MB)	"The Twist" Dance Contest Video: Stream Download (6.3 MB)

Birthday

Since Kerrie is a ballroom dancer, it is a tradition to have a "birthday dance" where various people cut in to dance with her. She selected a swing song called "Bad Girl Shoes" by her late friend Peggy Cone for the dance. After her "birthday dance" with the guys ended, she replayed the same song and this time instructed all the ladies to grab a guy to dance with. Afterwards, she said it was fun having a birthday dance, but would never wear that outfit for dancing again-- the vintage hat was knocked off her head, her strapless silk blouse kept getting pulled down, and her pretty yet flimsy shoes kept falling off as she twirled. Here is the video:
Stream Download (6.3 MB)

We also followed the more well known tradition of presenting the birthday cake. Here is the video:
Stream Download (0.8 MB)

Perhaps the nicest part of being the birthday girl is opening the presents.

Conclusion
This was the most original and fun party I have ever been to. K impressed me with her creativity and thoroughness in planning this party-- she selected the site, envisioned the theme, designed the dress code, came up with activities and games, provided hot hors d'oeuvres & an amazing cake, and thought of what prizes to give to guests. She even made her research available to guests prior to the party, so that they were well prepared upon arrival. Info available on her website beforehand included: photos for understanding the dress code, play rules for the featured games, a food & drink menu, and a downloadable version of the Birthday Dance song (in case people wanted to come up with moves in advance!). The background music (20s-40s) was also selected way in advance and nicely complimented the vintage theme of the party as well as the charming setting of the Waldorf empire suite.

The funny thing is that there were exactly 9 women and 9 men at the party, the total of which equals the number of wine charms that K bought for the party so that people could identify their glasses.

The party went on without a hitch. There was always something to do and no one was being bored. This is the party that I will remember for a long time!

Tiaras, hoop skirts, white gloves: This was no ordinary night of dress-up. At the Quadrille Ball Saturday night, the young women looked like princesses, with posture and manners to match.

Leaving their Ann Taylor suits and Gap jeans at home in their closets, the women arrived at the Plaza at 3 p.m. to make their Cinderella-like transformations. Some did their own hair and makeup; all rented their dresses and tiaras.

They helped each other lace up their bodices, not too tight, though. "It was very "Gone With the Wind" in the dressing room," V. P. said.

Sales associates, lawyers, and poets: the 20-odd men and women selected to dance the Quadrille this year were ready for their big moment, the culmination of 10 weeks of rehearsals and social outings. And unlike Cinderella, they had no curfew. The party lasted until 4 a.m.

The group's camaraderie was evident as they practiced the Quadrille one last time before some 200 guests arrived for cocktails and dinner.

As B. C. tripped and fell to the floor, the men rushed to her aid.The women talked of pinning up her skirt to avoid tripping at the real performance.

When performed by the 2004 class, the Quadrille looked like a calm and gentle version of a square dance, except the caller, Gordon Cooper, spoke in French. There was last-minute cramming at the rehearsal.

"Study the sheet you were given — it will tell you where you are going," said Mr. Cooper as he watched a few couples head in disparate directions.

"It's actually not as hard as it looks," said a ball committee member who danced in 2000 and attended rehearsals to help the new dancers, C. F.

Although ball organizers claim more than 40 marriages have resulted from the Quadrille, relationships among this year's class seemed strictly platonic. Partners are assigned, not chosen. Several mentioned having girlfriends or boyfriends outside the group.

Participants emphasized the professional and social network more than the prestige of the event. "It's a great place to meet smart, ambitious women," A. C. said.

Lending import to the affair was a supporting cast of characters including the color guard — cadets from West Point who are members of the German Club — and the pages sporting white wigs, who are students at the Joffrey Ballet School.

The color guard mounted the American and German flags on the ballroom stage. The pages, carrying fully lit candelabras, walked with the committee members as they were formally presented at the start of the ball.

Bob January conducted an orchestra of 20 musicians. The band leader at the first Quadrille, in 1961, was Max Hamlisch, the father of Marvin Hamlisch.

More than $3 million has been raised since the ball started, said its chairman, Carole Haarmann Acunto.The ball funds scholarships for American and German graduate students to study in each other's countries. The monies are distributed by the Germanistic Society of America, the Deutsches Haus at Columbia University, and the Institute of International Education.

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Check out the photos and videos that I took at the ball.

The 44th Annual Quadrille Ball has taken place today at The Plaza.

Photos

Videos

• Quadrille
• Dancers Presentation Stream Download (7.5 MB)
• Opening Stream Download (3.2 MB)
• Quadrille Stream Download (60 MB)
• General Dancing (Turn up the brightness on your monitor)
• Foxtrot Stream Download (4.5 MB)
• Tango Stream Download (1.8 MB)
• Mambo Stream Download (0.9 MB)
• Piano Playing
• When The Saints Go Marchin' In Stream Download (1.5 MB)
• Boogie Woogie Stream Download (4.8 MB)
• Singing
• 1 Stream Download (2.4 MB)
• 2 Stream Download (2.2 MB)
• 3 Stream Download (0.6 MB)
• 4 Stream Download (0.6 MB)
• New York, New York Stream Download (4.5 MB)

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Press

New York Sun

Links:
Quadrille Ball 2005

I kept hearing about the Rainbow Room for years and finally got a chance to visit it with some of my friends. It's located on the 65th floor of the tallest building in the Rockefeller Center. A special express elevator zips you up there in the matter of seconds during which your ears get clogged due to the change of pressure. Once the elevator opens, you get into an ornately decorated hallway with the coat check and passages leading into various dining rooms. The main room pictured above is quite large. It has the dining tables situated around a circular dance floor which slowly rotates counter-clockwise. Next to the dance floor is a space for a live band. In the windows one can look down at the magnificent view of New York City.

When we walked in there at around 11 PM, there was a latin band playing salsa which surprised me because I expected to see a swing band. But it turned out that the Swing band was taking a break and the latin band was just filling in. The swing band that was playing that night was Cab Calloway Orchestra. They played a medley of classic swing songs like “Take the A Train”, “In the Mood”, etc...

The dance floor was crowded, but after midnight there was more room. Dancing was interesting since without moving around the dance floor you end up in a totally different place by the end of the song since the dance floor slowly rotated. There were some zealous swing dancers in zoot suits. One of them was showing off with some lifts and tricks once there was room on the dance floor.

At the table we did not have any food. The dinner would cost us $150 per person for a pre-fix menu. We just had drinks which were also quite expensive - $10 for a small glass of fruit juice. I don't remember how much were the alcoholic drinks since I was not interested in them, but they were more than that. The cover charge was $20. Still, the high prices were worth the elegant ambience and great fun we had. Too bad it was over at 1 AM. The time flew by fast. Next time we’ll have to make sure we get there earlier.

The attire is black tie or dark suit for gentlemen, evening dress for ladies.

If you decide to go, make sure you call them for reservations at 212-632-5100. The address is 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York N.Y. 10112

Photos

[photo id=gbfktwqtrdqwd type=vi link=custom href=http://rpungin.fotki.com/events/puglia/]
At a company dinner in a restaurant called <a href=http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=30920&rpid=1326&raid=108 target=_blank>Puglia</a> my colleagues have convinced me to perform a number together with a musician that was playing there. I did "New York, New York" just making up words as I went along.

In the office we noticed tonns of smoke outside the windows. As my collegues pointed out, it turned out to be coming from the roof of a building which was next to ours. Nevertheless a fireman came in to check it out. I started to get worried. What if the fire spreads to our building!. Better be safe than sorry! The fireman tried to examine the situation in greater detail, but concluded that we were in no danger and left. Christine was sharing the terrifying experience.

At 4:15 PM New York City lost power. This is the video clip that I shot using my Sony Clie NX80V on the day of the blackout.

Stream Download (6.7 MB)

required to view the video.

Here are the photos.

Modern Talking - a duo from Germany - was one of the most popular foreign groups in Russia during the 80's. Due to this fact, Thomas Andres - the lead singer - came to the US for the first time to perform for the Russian immigrants living there. Unfortunately Dieter Bohlen - the other member of the duo who composed almost every song of the group, did not show up. The guest artist C.C.Catch was also a nice added bonus. Her music was also written by Dieter Bohlen and is similar in style to Modern Talking. They were performing at Atlantic City and Chicago.

I went to their concert on March 31 in Atlantic City. The huge concert hall was all sold out. The audience was 99.99% Russians living in USA in the New York and surrounding areas. C.C.Catch opened the concert with her classic songs from the 80's and finished with the Mix found on "Best Of 98" album. She was accompanied by two rappers/dancers. She looked different than on her 80's albums featuring bright blond hair. That's her current look that can be found at www.cccatch.com. She was singing to the pre-recorded background music which sounded no-different from the CD. However, several times when the music faded at the end of the song, she continued singing in the mic and sounded very nice. Her voice is still strong.

Then Thomas Anders continued the rest of the show. He was wearing a grey suit. He had couple of people on the keyboard, couple of guitarists and a drummer on stage with him. Of course they were playing along a pre-recorded soundtrack. The funny thing happened during "Atlantis Is Calling" when the soundtrack started to skip and then completely shut down. The music had to be just played by the on-stage musicians. And interestingly enough Thomas was just speaking the words in the mic instead of singing them until he realized that the soundtrack was broken. Then he tried to sing, but did not sound as nice as the pre-recorded voice that was used throughout the performance. The really funny sound was when he was trying to sing the high-pitched refrain. By the end of the song they were able to bring the soundtrack back on line. Thomas apologized for "technical difficulties". Obviously music like Modern Talking only sounds good when recorded in the sound studio and cannot be performed live without the pre-recorded background sound track.

The light show was quite nice with various special effects and projections on both stage and audience. People came down from their seats to the stage and were dancing and cheering Thomas and his band members. Even though they announced that videotaping was not allowed, many people had portable camcorders and cameras. I used my digital camera to take some video clips.

Video Clips: C.C.Catch: Stream - Download (12.9 MB) Thomas Anders: Stream - Download (19.9MB) required with broadband internet connection.

My Photos Other Fotki members' photos: http://public.fotki.com/bomond/d5h9c/modern_talking__cc_catch/ http://public.fotki.com/Kareglazka/concerts/modern_talking-1/ http://public.fotki.com/kissya/lexacckmodern_talking/

Unfortunately the group has now broken up for their second and most probably final time. Their first break up was in 1987 and then after more than 10 years, in 1998 they reunited and released an album "Back For Good". But they did not hold their promise. Soon after the concert that I went to they announced that they will split up again - this time really for good. Modern Talking Links Official Site White Racoon's Modern Talking Page Russian Modern Talking Server

The famous Sweedish group ABBA from the seventees was resurrected in New Jersey by the tribute band ABBA-Mania that performing their hits on the stage of an auditorium at The Montclair State University.

To get everyone in the spirit of the seventees disco, the concert opened by several songs from The Bee Gees performed by some unknown impersonator. This was not very impressive. But once ABBA-Mania took the stage, the concert really came alive. The cosumes, the looks of the artists, the voices - everything had striking resemblence to the original ABBA. The band performed more than 20 ABBA hits as the audience was singing along. The blonde lead singer was quite entertaining and was joking with the audience a lot between the songs. The concert culminated with kids from the audience getting on stage singing "Dancing Queen".

Concert Photos Videos Stream Download (7.73MB) required.

ABBA Mania Links:

• Bounty Tributes
• Legends Of Rock-n-Roll

Check out hundreds of ABBA related links at