Waltz, pop & rock in a ball gown
The Budapest Opera Ball, which was revived following
the change of regime, took place for the 13th time on 2 February at the
Hungarian State Opera on Andrássy út. The roughly 2,000 guests managed to
ignore the demonstration against the ball on the other side of the avenue
(organised by the anti-globalisation NGO ATTAC) and climbed the red carpet to
the Ybl Palace, which for women required a certain skill depending on the
length of their ball gown.
Inside, guests were met with what at the start of the
evening recalled an advertising event: main sponsor Citroen’s latest car was on
display, and a fashion show and various stands with watches and jewellery were
all designed to awaken the desire in guests for luxury products.
The ball really came alive with the entrance of the
debutants, who, dressed in tail coats and ball gowns, allowed the dress
uniforms of members of the military from the recent years to be forgotten.
Following a short programme featuring a ballet display by the College of Dance
and opera arias performed by the well-known singers Viktória Vizin and István
Kovácsházi, this year’s star guest, the romantic pianist Richard Clayderman
opened the ball with his evergreen Ballade pour Adeline. Soon after it was
“everybody waltz”: numerous couples took up the challenge, and it became fairly
tight for space on the dance floor, which consisted of the orchestra pit and
almost the whole stage of the Opera House.
Few
politicians!
Relatively few big names could be spotted among those
dancing. It was mainly Hungarian celebrities like the organist Xavér Varnus,
motorcycling world champion Gábor Talmácsi or fitness guru Norbert Schobert who
honoured the ball with their presence. This year politicians were particularly
few and far between, which was perhaps connected to the forthcoming referendum
and the uncertainty of its outcome. Barely any of those on the long list of
patrons, ranging from Budapest mayor Gábor Demszky to Social Affairs and Labour
Minster Mónika Lamperth, could be sighted on the dance floor.
Dancing clears
building
Following the excellent dinner courtesy of Gundel, the
more informal part of the evening began after midnight. Three bands, the
Bergendy dance orchestra, the Ungár dance orchestra and the Bonnie & Clyde
duo played oldies, pop songs and Hungarian rock classics, to which the visibly
reduced number of guests let their hair down and danced. Although this has been
a tradition at the opera ball for some time, it is still odd to see people in
tails and long ball gowns bopping to disco hits. Perhaps in view of the
numerous guests who left the Opera House when the dance bands came on, for next
year the organisers should pay more attention to the special qualities of the
Opera Ball: traditional elegance and classic dances in an opulent setting.
After all, in Budapest there are numerous opportunities to go out and party the
whole year round – but where apart from the major balls can one dance a really
fine waltz?
