Vienna Ball to come to Jakarta this October

Get your dancing shoes on and start practicing the steps for Jakarta's first Vienna Ball, to be held by the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski on Oct. 30.

Balls are a tradition in Austria, with hundreds held every year by various institutions and organizations. The elegant dance events usually start with an opening ceremony in which debutantes perform different dances. Debutantes, young women between 16 and 22 years old, will announce their arrival in the upper crust society with their first ball dance at the event.

The debutantes have been receiving dance lessons from Heinz Heidenreich, who was a principle dancer at the Vienna State Opera Ballet Company in 1982. He currently works as choreographer, production manager, assistant director and organizer for special Viennese events in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Athens.

General Manager of the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Gerhard E. Mitrovits, said that six families (both Indonesian and foreign) have signed up their daughters, and sons, for the ball.

"I encourage all parents to have their daughters and sons participate in the event as it will be an exceptional opportunity for the young people to enter the eligible social network," he said.

"We expect to have around 80 debutantes. They don't have to buy tickets but they must wear a dress, priced at Rp 900,000 *US$90*, and the young men must wear a tuxedo priced at Rp 1.3 million."

Era Soekamto, who has been designing fashion for teenagers for 11 years, will be making the special outfits. Era said that she would design three gowns for the debutantes: one sleeveless and two bustier dresses. The dresses will have feminine look with ruffles and Swarovski crystal.

"The debutantes can wear their own shoes as long as they match the broken white dresses," Era said.

She said that she would also make black tuxedos with satin lapels, a bowtie and one-meter long tails, paired with black trousers, for the young men.

"I must make the debutantes look glamorous but not old. It's challenging," said Era, who has started making the dresses and tuxedos in August.

Diane W*lfer, the wife of the Austrian ambassador to Indonesia, said that the event was part of the embassy's cultural promotion. She said that Austria hoped to enhance its cultural and economic links with Indonesia with the event.

"The Vienna Ball is a classic tradition. It would be an honor to be able to feature daughters and sons in such event," she said.

Mitrovits said that as an Austrian he was excited to share the extravagant tradition with Indonesian people, who respect the value of tradition.

The classical music of the Johann Strauss Viennese Orchestra will accompany the dancers, including the famous Midnight Quadrilles, a complicated dance in which the couples will be placed facing each other in lines.

The ball will be held in Kempenski's grand ballroom, which will be transformed with crystal chandeliers, huge mirrors and gilded ornaments to resemble the thick classic ambience of the Sch*nbrunn Palace, a prominent historical building in Austria.

The surrounding will be decorated in the Heuriger style. The ball will last from around 6.00 p.m. to 3.00 a.m.

The hotel will provide strolling tickets for Rp 800,000 and seating tickets for Rp 2.5 million and Rp 2.2 million.

For further information on Kempinski's Vienna Ball, contact Ms. Agnes/Bertha at
(021) 23583800 ext. 3405 or 3941


Tifa Asrianti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 09/13/2009 11:47 AM
| Lifestyle