Nino Graziano Luca and the Compagnia Nazionale di Danza Storica have developed a wide range of very successful formats for the staging of Grand Balls. Each Ball has its own theme.
La Compagnia Nazionalke di Danza Storica opens its Grand Ball Season in October with a romantic event known as the INTERNATIONAL REGENCY GRAND BALL inspired by the atmosphere of Jane Austen's novels and featured in the World Regency Events Calendar.
In November the Compagnia Nazionale di Danza Storica performs the famous SISSI GRAND BALL on the notes of the Strauss family’s great music. The event was first staged in 2006 marking the 150th anniversary of the first visit that Empress Sissi made to Italy (November 1856). Every year a famous actress is cast to play Sissi.
When December comes it is the time of the GRAND CHIRSTMAS BALL, a project meant to offer a very special moment to a person whose daily life is quite difficult.
The GRAND RUSSIAN BALL, the most glamorous ball of them all, is held on the second Saturday of January to celebrate the Orthodox New Year's Eve. It also serves the purpose of strengthening the dialogue between Russian and Italian cultures. It is a feast of magnificent costumes and colors.
Carnival cannot go by without its iconic GRAND CARNIVAL BALL BETWEEN THE AGES, when dancers are no longer requested to wear 19th century costumes and are free to choose among a dazzling variety of styles from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century.
Spring is celebrated with the enchanting GRAND BALL OF THE LEOPARD that pays homage to the work of Tomasi di Lampedusa and to Luchino Visconti’s iconic film.
The Grand Ball Season does not end here. Several other events are scheduled to take place in Italy and abroad.
Each Grand Ball has its own unique theme. Organizers spare no efforts to make each one of them a memorable event. Great care is paid to details: from the choice of the location to the date of the event; from the dances included in the Carnet du Ball to the music program; from costumes to accessories; from guest artists to the repertoire of their performances; from the dinner menu to beverages; from silverware to gold-rimmed stem glasses.
Upon their arrival at the palace hosting a Grand Ball, guests immediately step into another dimension. They are graciously welcomed and shown to the cloakroom and then into the next hall where to collect their carnets du bal – a key tool where to write down the name of their dance partners.
Participating in a Grand Ball means you share a romantic experience in a 19th century atmosphere enlivened by spectacular dances. Every guest join in on the dancing floor and becomes a protagonist of an unforgettable event.
Dress etiquette requires all participants to wear either a 19th century gown or a formal attire.
Among the many and wonderful CNDS Grand Balls we would like to mention the following:
- The Grand Ball celebrating the Bicentennial of the Vienna Congress, Schonbrunn, Vienna;
- The Grand Ball of the 19th century, held at the Historical Palace of the Knights of Malta in Valletta and at the Stefania Palace in Budapest, the place most beloved by the Hungarian aristocratic families - Esterházy, Andrássy, Festetics, Károlyi e Széchenyi;
- The Grand Ball of the Leopard held for the past 25 years in Sicily;
- The Sissi Grand Ball, the Verdi Grand Ball and the Russian Grand Ball at Palazzo Brancaccio, Rome;
- The Grand Ball of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies, the Royal Palace in Caserta;
- The Grand Ball celebrating Bellini, Palazzo Biscari, Catania;
- The 19th Century Grand Ball on Lake Como, Teatro Sociale, Como;
- The Grand Carnival Ball, Palazzo Labia, Venice;
- The Grand Viennese Debutante Ball (all three editions were held in Rome);
- The Mac π 100 2019 of the Teulié Military School, Milan;
- The Grand Debutante Ball, Palazzo Rospigliosi, Zagarolo;
- The 19th Century European Grand Ball held in Noto at different venues - Palazzo Nicolaci, Palazzo Landolina and Palazzo Ducezio - to mark the 4th European Meeting of World Heritage Associations;
- The Imperial Grand Ball, Grand Hotel InterContinental , Paris;
- The Regency Grand Ball,Palazzo Rospigliosi and at Pinacoteca del Tesoriere, Rome;
- The Grand Ball of the Roses, Aranciera di San Sisto;
- The Grand Ball of the Tsar, St Regis Hotel, Rome;
- The Grand Ball of the Unification of Italy;
- The Grand Ball of the Duke of Buonvicino;
- The Grand Ball of the Roman Aquarium;
- The Grand Christmas Ball, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome;
- The Grand Court Ball honoring Claude Debussy, Villa Guglielmi, Fiumicino, Rome.
Waltzes, Quadrilles, Contredanses, and Mazurkas are the dances included in the programs of the Grand Balls organized by the Compagnia Nazionale di Danza Storica. Their choreographies draw inspiration from the manuals of the most prominent dance masters of the 19th century as well as the most beloved period films. The musical program ranges from Strauss to Verdi, from Ziehrer to Puccini, and from Nino Rota to Bellini. Dancers wear precious gowns, crinolines and elegant tailcoats designed according to 19th century fashion.
