A group of Oakland enthusiasts revives the spirit and style of Victorian balls.

{FEB. 24 Oakland Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. Admission is $20. Details: (415) 869-2825 or www.gaskellball.com.}

By LIZ SCOTT

SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

Ye Gaskell Occasional Dance Society isn’t a typical dance club. Nothing compares to the beauty of elegant gentlemen waltzing gownclad ladies around the magnificent ballroom in Oakland’s historic Scottish Rite Temple. This bimonthly vintage dance ball often draws as many as 500 people, many of them veteran dancers. Yet novices are welcomed and quickly swept into the whirl. You don’t need to bring a partner or any previous dance experience to enjoy a Gaskell’s Ball. Just enthusiasm, lots of energy, fancy togs, and smooth-soled shoes.

Gaskell’s started more than 25 years ago as an outgrowth of the Victorian dancing at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. A number of actors found they spent most of their time dancing at Fezziwig’s Warehouse. “We didn’t want to stop when the fair was over,” explains Hilary Powers, one of the original founders of the Gaskell Society. “We knew we could call a dance and people would come. We used bands from the fair. We had the industry contacts to make it work.”

It’s best not to show up at a ball in jeans and sneakers — attire is formal. Powers describes, “What’s required is a suit and tie for the guys, a dressy cocktail dress for the ladies. What’s encouraged is high Victorian formal dress — tailcoats and ballgowns.”

But don’t feel pressured to shell out hundreds of dollars. Powers admits to having bought some of her best dancing outfits at garage sales and thrift stores. On the other hand, if you’re interested in historical costuming, you’ll find literature from a devoted to the subject variety of organizations laid out at the ball.

If your education didn’t include the fine art of the waltz, polka, or schottische, plan to spend the afternoon in Oakland learning to dance before you attend your first ball. Dance classes run from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. the day of the ball and cost an additional $10.

Be on time! “We do some stuff at the beginning that we can’t go back and repeat,” says Powers, who is often one of the instructors.

Street clothes are fine for class, and you can change clothes at the Scottish Rite Temple. Some participants bring box dinners, others go out to eat during the break between class and the ball.

For experienced dancers who just need a quick refresher, there’s a 45-minute clinic from 7:30-8:15 p.m.. The ball proper begins at 8:30. The strains of the Congress of Vienna played by the Brassworks ensemble start the dancers swirling around the floor in the first of three dance sets. Never fear if you’ve come alone — changing partners is de rigeur. Twenty-first century feminism meets Victorian aesthetic — just as many ladies ask gentlemen to dance as the other way around. While the most energetic guests dance through all three sets, most spend a little time resting, enjoying the nonalcoholic punch and potluck finger foods. And in fine Victorian tradition, a card game always springs up off to the side of the dance floor.

Whether you come for the dancing, the live music, the stunning costumes, or just to enjoy the society, a Gaskell’s Ball is well worth the trip to Oakland. Powers, who can’t say enough about how beautiful these dances are, declares Gaskell’s Balls “an entirely civilized evening.”

Contact Liz Scott at lizscott04@gmail.com.