Experience GrotonFest Winter at the Groton History Center’s Holiday Party, December 7th
In the spirit of GrotonFest Winter, on Saturday, December 7th, the Groton History Center’s elegant and gracious Boutwell House, at 172 Main Street, will be open from 11 am to 2 pm. All are invited to partake in a sweet encounter with the past including historic dances brought to life by the Footwork & Frolick Society, tours of the 1851 home of former Governor George S. Boutwell, a last chance to savor the Impressionist works of Edmund C. Tarbell, and splendid refreshments.
The Footwork & Frolick Society is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing 18th- and 19th-century dances and amusements into our 21st-century lives. Authentic, graceful, and mesmerizing to watch, dancers will show off a holiday sampling – a quadrille, a Schottische, a Gothic Dance, and waltzes. All dances likely enjoyed at the Boutwell House in its heyday, and in the Town Hall's upstairs ballroom, says Catherine Dignam. She and her husband James Sabin, two of the six founding members of the Footwork & Frolick Society, live in Groton.
It was the age when women wore hoops and crinolines under softly flowing or full-skirted dresses, and the men sported black pants, vests, cravats, and silk top hats. Professionals with day jobs, many of the troop make their own lavish, historically correct garments. Inspiration comes from an array of sources including pattern companies specializing in vintage designs, magazine fashion plates, paintings, and extant garments in museum collections.
Footwork & Frolick Society offers monthly classes for beginners in 19th-century dances at the Groton Grange, hosts events, and performs at historic venues around New England. Upcoming, on the evening of December 7th the troop’s festive Yuletide Ball at the Grange. Visit www.footworkandfrolick.org for details.
All are welcome free to the GHC’s Holiday Open House, thanks to the Groton Commissioners of Trust Funds. For more information, visit [email protected], facebook.com/grotonhistory, or call 978-448-0092. (Universal access to the first floor.)
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2752148-0
