Could Have Danced All Night: Two Day Dance Party is Eau Claire Trademark

My wife says that there are two traits that make a man most attractive:

1. Love for his mother…and

2. The ability to dance

I propose that one of these two must certainly be basic to the success of Eau Claire’s annual dance bash, the lavish and enduring Viennese Ball. For two frolicking nights, April 8th to 9th, the ballroom faithful once again transformed Davies center into the House of Strauss.

The Viennese ball is an elegant formal uberevent that mimics the romance and elegance of 19th-century Austria. It’s a key fundraiser for the University music department and scholarship endowments. The University’s first V-Ball was 40 years ago in 1974. Eau Claire’s version is the 2nd largest Viennese Ball in the World (second only to Vienna itself!) and a wildly popular occasion. Guests can change things up between waltzes led by the University Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nobu Yasuda, to polka classics in the Festival Hall, or Big Band swing. I was privileged to attend (in jeans no less! Faux pas, ja?) – with my video camera dance partner. My original videoessay features commentary from two veteran Ballers – professional dance instructors Dave and Karen Goggin of Eau Claire – who had the honor of starting the dancing off with a solo waltz.

If you’re not tapping a toe by the end of the story, I’ll be a Blue Danube.

Ziggy Zocky Ziggy Zocky Oi Oi Oi

Steve Betchkal

Chief Videojournalist CVCTV

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