Ball der Alt-Schotten

VIENNA, AUSTRIA--Last night I took the opportunity to attend a ball with Johannes (who is going to Hong Kong soon), his girlfriend, Anna, and his sister, Maria.  It was something that I cannot really describe in words.  It was a very formal event and the dancing was like something from an old movie.  This is why (and that I don't have much time to write) I will add the pictures and video to do the explaining.  

A little background...Vienna is known for its balls.  January through February is ball season and there are a ton of them.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Vienna is the last great capital of the nineteenth century ball. There are over 200 significant balls per year, some featuring as many as nine live orchestras. Balls are held in the many beautiful palaces in Vienna, with the principal venue being the Hofburg Palace at Heldenplatz. While the Opera Ball is the best known internationally of all the Austrian balls, other balls such as the Kaffeesiederball (Cafe Owners Ball), the Jägerball (Hunter's Ball) and the Rudolfina Redoute are almost as well known within Austria and even better appreciated for their cordial atmosphere. Viennese of at least middle class may visit a number of balls in their lifetime. For many, the ball season lasts three months and can include up to ten or fifteen separate appearances.

Dancers and opera singers from the Vienna Staatsoper often perform at the openings of the larger balls.

A Vienna ball is an all-night cultural attraction. Major Viennese balls generally begin at nine pm and last until five am, although many guests carry on the celebrations into the next day.

Johannes and Anna were one of the couples who openned the ball.  You will see them in the video doing this.  The ball is for the alumni of the school that Johannes went to (like a middle/high school).

I realize that this post was lacking a lot of information.  Here is a response I made to the latest comment:

You really don't have to know anything about ball room dancing. Most balls have other rooms for people to drink and talk instead. Everyone dances at midnight at all the balls, but no one knows how to do the dance, so there is a person standing on the stage with the band directing everyone (although, it's all in German). It is really funny because the room is packed, no one knows what they are doing, each time it goes faster and at the end everyone does a crazy dance/gallop around the ball room.
I had no idea I was going to a ball! I borrowed a tux from Johannes. In German it is called a "Smoking" which caused some confusion for a while. :D 
Soon we are going to be taking Viennese Waltz lessens though. It should be interesting since I've been told it's much harder than a normal Waltz (I still have no clue about either).