=A DANCE=

A dance is merely a ball on a smaller scale, fewer people are asked to it and it has usually, but not necessarily, simpler decorations.

But the real difference is that invitations to balls always include older people—­as many if not more than younger ones—­whereas invitations to a dance for a debutante, for instance, include none but very young girls, young men and the merest handful of the hostess’ most intimate friends.

Supper may equally be a simple buffet or an elaborate sit-down one, depending upon the size and type of the house.

Or a dance may equally well as a ball be given in the “banquet” or smaller ballroom of a hotel, or in the assembly or ballroom of a club.

A formal dance differs from an informal one merely in elaboration, and in whether the majority of those present are strangers to one another; a really informal dance is one to which only those who know one another well are invited.

=DETAILS OF PREPARATION FOR A BALL OR DANCE IN A PRIVATE HOUSE=

There is always an awning and a red carpet down the steps (or up), and a chauffeur to open the carriage doors and a policeman or detective to see that strangers do not walk uninvited into the house.  If there is a great crush, there is a detective in the hall to “investigate” anyone who does not have himself announced to the hostess.

All the necessary appurtenances such as awning, red carpet, coat hanging racks, ballroom chairs, as well as crockery, glass, napkins, waiters and food are supplied by hotels or caterers. (Excepting in houses like the Gildings,’ where footmen’s liveries are kept purposely, the caterer’s men are never in footmen’s liveries.)

Unless a house has a ballroom the room selected for dancing must have all the furniture moved out of it; and if there are adjoining rooms and the dancing room is not especially big, it adds considerably to the floor space to put no chairs around it.  Those who dance seldom sit around a ballroom anyway, and the more informal grouping of chairs in the hall or library is a better arrangement than the wainscot row or wall-flower exposition grounds.  The floor, it goes without saying, must be smooth and waxed, and no one should attempt to give a dance whose house is not big enough.

=ETIQUETTE IN THE BALLROOM=

New York’s invitations are usually for “ten o’clock” but first guests do not appear before ten-thirty and most people arrive at about eleven or after.  The hostess, however, must be ready to receive on the stroke of the hour specified in her invitations, and the debutante or any one the ball may be given for, must also be with her.

It is not customary to put the debutante’s name on the formal “At Home” invitation, and it is even occasionally omitted on invitations that “request the pleasure of ——­” so that the only way acquaintances can know the ball is being given for the daughter is by seeing her standing beside her mother.