Despite the role reversal mandate at leap year balls, it's still difficult to find examples where the role reversal extended into actually calling or otherwise leading the dancing. While I have several mentions of female floor managers, it's not clear whether they were leading the dancing or just assisting a male caller or prompter. One of the few clear examples I'd found previously was two ladies leading a cotillion, at a leap year ball held in Providence in 1892. So I was beyond delighted to find two mentions of female callers in short blurbs about leap year balls held in Idaho and Kansas in 1896.
First, at a leap year ball held in Mountain Home, Idaho, on Friday, January 24, 1896, there were not only female floor managers (not uncommon) but a female caller, "floor director", and even female musicians:
At 9 o’clock sharp the grand march commenced, Miss Mel Tate acting as violinist accompanied by Miss Ada Robbins at the piano. Thirty-one couples formed on the floor and under the able directions of Miss Schram, the floor director, the march was quite unique; the only disadvantage was not having sufficient room to display the different figures. The first quadrille was very nicely called by Miss Hope Pyburn, with the same lady musicians.
There we have it: Miss Hope Pyburn called a quadrille. And the march was directed by Miss Schram, though she seems to have had some difficulty with the size of the space relative to the number of dancers, or perhaps the space needed for a certain figures, a problem I can easily relate to from my experience running grand marches in Gettysburg on Remembrance Day Weekend. The two musicians, Miss Ada Robbins and Miss Mel Tate, are a nice bonus. I just wish we knew who had called the rest of the ball, and who played the music for it!
And, oh yes, the other characteristics of a leap year ball were on display: ladies forming the committee, acting as floor managers, escorted their partners home, and gifted them with souvenirs.
Second, at a ball held in Centralia, Kansas, on Tuesday, March 31, 1896, the grand march was led by a a female-male couple, with the woman listed first, and the first quadrille was called by three different women, one for the first "change" (figure) and one with an assistant for the second, which was a medley:
About forty couples were present. The dance programme was opened with a grand march led by Miss Nora Cogswell and Allyn Stickel, then came the various dances of the evening. The first quadrille was prompted by lady callers. The first change was prompted by Miss Effie Horth who went through with the calling very nicely. The second was prompted by Miss Maude Hopkins assisted by Miss Kate McKeon, and was on the medley order.
Once again, I wish that we knew who called or prompted the rest of the ball. The implication is that the ladies called only the first quadrille; did they just practice enough to call a single dance before turning the ball over to a professional?
The usual leap-year-ball-specific elements are not mentioned other than that the ladies "took particular pains to see that all the gentlemen were entertained", but I think the standard role reversal details can be assumed.
Full transcriptions of both articles are below.
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From the Elmore Bulletin (Rocky Bar, Idaho), Wednesday, January 29th, 1896, p. 3:
The Leap Year Ball given by the young ladies of Mountain Home on Friday evening was a success in every way—so say the majority of the young men. At 9 o’clock sharp the grand march commenced, Miss Mel Tate acting as violinist accompanied by Miss Ada Robbins at the piano. Thirty-one couples formed on the floor and under the able directions of Miss Schram, the floor director, the march was quite unique; the only disadvantage was not having sufficient room to display the different figures. The first quadrille was very nicely called by Miss Hope Pyburn, with the same lady musicians. A sumptuous supper was served at Mrs. Hagar’s dining parlors at 12 o’clock, after which dancing was indulged in until early dawn when the young men were escorted to their respective homes by their fair young partners. Each young man was presented with a pretty souvenir as a memento of the first Leap Year party given by the young ladies of Mountain Home. The young ladies acting as floor managers and also those on the reception committee fulfilled their places very gracefully.
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From The Centralia Times (Centralia, Kansas), Friday, April 3, 1896, p. 1:
The Ladies Leap Year Club of our city gave a Leap Year ball Tuesday evening. About forty couples were present. The dance programme was opened with a grand march led by Miss Nora Cogswell and Allyn Stickel, then came the various dances of the evening. The first quadrille was prompted by lady callers. The first change was prompted by Miss Effie Horth who went through with the calling very nicely. The second was prompted by Miss Maude Hopkins assisted by Miss Kate McKeon, and was on the medley order. A nice supper was served on the stage which was very convenient as you did not have to leave for refreshments. The ladies had the opera house very prettily decorated and conveniently arranged for the occasion. They did fine and took particular pains to see that all the gentlemen were entertained. The gentlemen all voted it a grand success and hope that the ladies will be so highly elated over their success that they will give another ball before the season closes.
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