You Shall Go To The Ball

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There are Viennese opera balls on the social calendars of many big cities. But there is only one Vienna Opera Ball. The annual extravaganza that has spawned countless international imitators takes place in the Austrian capital's State Opera house on Feb. 23 — and if you haven't got one of the 5,000 or so tickets yet, you'd better start working the phones.

To the old-money types and aristocrats that once made up the bulk of the guest list, the present-day event has been diminished by the inclusion of pop singers, politicians, movie stars and even (shock, horror) the odd porn actress. A ban on smoking, instituted at the 2004 ball, has been another blow to the faithful, as has the introduction of contemporary music (nowadays you can boogie and salsa in addition to waltz).

In that case, why attend? For the stunning visual spectacle, above all. Upwards of 60,000 flowers decorate the opulent 137-year-old venue, which is crammed to the rafters with staff in 19th-century livery and guests in white tie or lavish gowns. Then there's the matchless beauty of the polonaise, the famous opening dance performed by handpicked debutantes, pictured here. Their grand entrance is as vivid a hallucination of old Europe as you'll ever experience — and something that even the most curmudgeonly traditionalist cannot fault.