Playford-to-the-Present English Country Dance Ball
Our Playford-to-the-Present Ball!
Did you miss our 2023 ball? Be sure to join us for our 2024 Playford-to-the-Present Ball! We’re delighted to announce some preliminary information: Our 2024 ball will be on the Third Saturday, October 19, 2024, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. We’ll have our final review on Friday, October 18 at Skandia Hall. We’re also delighted to welcome our dance leader all the way from Washington, D.C.: Anna Rain! Our musicians will be announced when we know them, and we’re excited about the potential. 🙂 Keep an eye here or on the P2P Ball page of the Cal Dance Co-op website for more details as we know them.
What an amazing time we had at our 2023 Playford-to-the-Present Ball! It was an eventful weekend, with our final review Friday, our P2P Ball on Saturday, and the HTDS Tea Dance on Sunday. We’d like to thank our incredible talent: dance leader Alan Winston and our wonderful musicians Anna Patton, Audrey Leigh Jaber, and Jeffrey Spero, for sharing their artistry with us. Thanks also to our diligent (volunteer!) ball committee and community, under the excellent leadership of cochairs Patricia Keating and Mickey Waring, for all their hard work and dedication. And thanks to all of you who attended the ball and made it such an extraordinary event!
Do you have any photos or videos from the ball that you’re willing to share for our website? If so, please email us at culvercityecd@gmail.com. (Please don’t send any attachments yet; write first and we will send you a link to upload materials.) Thank you so much!
Check out our page of photos and videos from the Playford-to-the-Present 2022 ball here! And see photos from 2021 and more past balls too.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Our 2023 Playford-to-the-Present ball was on Saturday, October 7, 2023. We’re delighted to welcome caller Alan Winston from Northern California, who will be accompanied by excellent live music from an incredible trio of musicians: Anna Patton (clarinet), Audrey Jaber (violin), and Jeffrey Spero (piano)! The event will be held at the fully air-conditioned Pasadena Scottish Rite Cathedral from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.) Read more information below and/or on the P2P Ball page of the Cal Dance Co-op website.
*Masks are required for the Playford-to-the-Present ball.*
P2P 2023 Registration and Pricing
Registration for our 2023 P2P Ball is OPEN NOW! Click the flyer above or the button below to download and print out our flyer and registration form, OR register online.
(Note: Your registration is incomplete until your payment has been received.)
New this year: pay for your tickets electronically via PayPal!
Early Bird pricing (through August 31):
Check (made out to California Dance Co-operative): $50
PayPal: $52 (to cover PayPal fees)
Pricing from September 1:
Check (made out to California Dance Co-operative): $60
PayPal: $62 (to cover PayPal fees)
Partial scholarships are available. Email patricia.a.keating <at> gmail <dot> com for more information.
If you would like a name tag, we need to receive your payment by September 29.
Please note: We will not give refunds for electronic payment unless the event is canceled.
If you think you might want a refund, please pay by check.
Click the buttons below to pay electronically, or to contribute to our P2P Scholarship Fund:
Practice with us!
As always, this ball is for experienced English country dancers. It is assumed that all attendees are familiar with basic ECD figures. All dances (except for three FTWK dances) will have a walk-through and will be prompted as necessary. Attendees dress in period or formal attire.
The FTWK (For Those Who Know) dances will only have a talk-through (no walk-through!), so be sure to learn those dances in advance, for example at our dance practices!
Join us for our Ball Practices, this year held on Sundays, September 17 and October 1, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Lindberg Park Stone House. (Visit our Upcoming Dances page for caller and band details.) We’re also holding a Final Review session on Friday night, October 6, with caller Alan Winston and musicians Anna Patton, Audrey Knuth, and Jeffrey Spero! The 9/17 and 10/1 practices also coincide with our annual Costume Sale: Bring costume pieces to donate to the sale, and replenish your closet by buying new (to you) costume pieces or outfits. All proceeds go to our P2P Scholarship Fund.
Of course, the best way to practice for the ball is to come to our regular CCECD dances on second and fourth Sundays. Regular dancing is not only fun, it makes you a better overall dancer. Plus, many of the dances on the ball program will be done at the dances leading up to the ball. Join us!
Make a weekend of it! In addition to our Final Review on October 6 and the ball on October 7, join Alan Winston on Sunday, October 8, for a special workshop with our friends at Historical Tea & Dance Society.
Here is the program of dances for our 2023 Playford-to-the-Present Ball, in alphabetical order:
All Saints’ Day (S-I)
Bluebonnets (I)
Cheshire Rounds (S-I)
Good Man of Cambridge (I)
Hudson Barn (I-C)
Jaque Latin (S-I)
Joy After Sorrow (FTWK)
Leather Lake House (I)
Meeting and Parting (I)
Mendocino Redwood (S)
Movement Afoot (I)
New Map (FTWK)
Newcastle (FTWK)
Woodshed (I-C)
Zorinsky (S)
(S = Simple, I = Intermediate, C = Complex, FTWK = For Those Who Know)
A booklet containing instructions for each dance will be sent by email to all registrants. We have also created a playlist of YouTube videos Alan has selected for each of the dances. View the playlist here:
The Committee
The Playford-to-the-Present Ball is definitely a community affair. A lot of people contribute their time and effort to help bring about the event. We thank them for their tireless assistance. We especially wish to give a huge round of thanks to Sparky Sotcher, who stepped down as Administrative Co-Chair in 2022 after an incredible 17 years of service. We’re so grateful to the astounding care and energy you put in, Sparky! Thank you!
Here’s the committee for our 2023 ball.
| Administrative Chairs: Patricia Keating, Mickey Waring | Dance Booklet: Mickey Waring, James Hutson, Renée Camus, Tim Steinmeier |
| Registrar: Aileen Poehls | Name Tags: Pat Green |
| Program Advisors: James Hutson, Renée Camus | Talent Liaison: Sparky Sotcher |
| Refreshments: Kaye Evans | Costume Sale: Elyse Ashton, Robert Rickun, Gayle Steinmeier |
| Graphics: Tim Steinmeier | Co-op Representative: Renée Camus |
| Decorations: Elyse Ashton, Robert Rickun, Alex Bradley, Tony McQuilkin, Bruce Hayes, Lumme Erilt, Renée Camus | Members at Large: Alex Bradley |
Playford-to-the-Present History
The Playford-to-the-Present Ball has a fine history of callers and musicians who have conspired to bring that special combination of sound and movement together for delightful and memorable events.
If you’d like to see a list of all the dances done at our past Playford-to-the-Present balls, check out our List of Ball Programs.
- 2023: Dance Master – Alan Winston. Music by Anna Patton, Audrey Leigh Jaber, and Jeffrey Spero.
- 2022: Dance Master – Val Medve. Music by Persons of Quality (Jon Berger, Jim Oakden, Rebecca King)
- 2021: Dance Masters – James Hutson and Renée Camus. Music by Force For Nature (Audrey Knuth, Ashley Hoyer, Jeffrey Spero).
- 2020: Our Special Virtual Event celebrating 20 years of Playford-to-the-Present – Caller Judee Pronovost. Music by Linda Kodaira (violin) and Bill Marks (guitar); additional music from Jeffrey Spero (piano).
- 2019: Dance Master – Joanna Reiner. Music by Shira Kammen (violin), Jim Oakden (various), and Jeffrey Spero (keyboard).
- 2018: Dance Master – Bruce Hamilton. Music by Sweetwater (Bonnie Insull, Audrey Knuth, Ryan Sandburg).
- 2017: Dance Master – Graham Christian. Music by Offbeats and guest (Ashley Broder, Ben Schreiber, Jeffrey Spero, plus Bonnie Insull).
- 2016: Dance Master – Brad Foster. Music by StringFire (James MacQueen, Annie Rodier, Patti Cobb, Erik Ievins).
- 2015: Dance Master – James Hutson. Music by Flutatious (Miranda Arana, Bonnie Insull, Christa Burch, Jeffrey Spero).
- 2014: Dance Mistress – Kalia Kliban. Music by Persons of Quality (Jon Berger, Rebecca King, Jim Oakden).
- 2013: Dance Leader – Chris Page. Music by Bonfire (Bonnie Insull, Frank Hoppe, Richard Scher).
- 2012: Dance Master – Ric Goldman. Music by The Syncopaths (Jeffrey Spero, Ryan McKasson, Ashley Broder, Christa Burch).
- 2011: Dance Leader – James Hutson. Music by The Funky Fandango String Quartet (Jon Berger, Erik Ievins, Shira Kammen, Michelle Levy).
- 2010: Dance Leaders – Kris Davey, Chris Page, Tom Wilson. Hostess – Judee Pronovost. Music by The English Roses (Mary Ann Sereth, Walter Sereth, Robert Winoker).
- 2009: Dance Mistress – Annie Laskey. Music by The English Roses (Mary Ann Sereth, Walter Sereth, Guinevere Sanger, Mike Earls).
- 2008: Dance Leader – Mary Devlin. Music by Cuckoo’s Nest (Frank Hoppe, Kurt McInnis, Ken Shaw, Jeffrey Spero).
- 2007: Dance Masters – James Hutson, Judee Pronovost, Ben Rotenberg. Music by Bonfire (Bonnie Insull, Richard Scher, Jon Berger).
- 2006: Dance Master – Giovanni De Amici. Music by Interfolk Goes Baroque (Kriss Larson, Bonnie Insull, Mary Ann Sereth, Carter Dewberry).
- 2005: Dance Master – Gary Shapiro. Music by Interfolk (Kriss Larson, Jim Garner, Mary Ann Sereth, Bob Brooks).
- 2004: Dance Master – Ben Rotenberg. Music by Festivity (Mary Ann Sereth , Bonnie Insull, Steve Maranto, Carter Dewberry).
- 2003: Dance Mistress – Annie Laskey. Music by Bob Brooks, Jim Garner, Kriss Larson, Mary Ann Sereth.
- 2002: Dance Master – Giovanni De Amici. Music by Jeffrey Spero, Linda Kodaira, David James.
- 2001: Dance Master – James Hutson. Music by Frank Hoppe, Ken Shaw, Jeffrey Spero.
Playford-to-the-Present Photos
Visit the following pages for pictures from our past Playford-to-the-Present balls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023 – Coming Soon…
Playford-to-the-Present 2022 – NEW!
Playford-to-the-Present 2021 – NEW!
Playford-to-the-Present 2020 (coming soon!)
Playford-to-the-Present 2002 – NEW!
Playford-to-the-Present 2001 – Our First Ball! – NEW!
View our List of Ball Programs