Organizing Muse Academy’s preeminent festive occasion, the spring formal.
(If you need a little institutional memory, here’s how the planning went last year.)
126 thoughts on “May Day Ball 2010 Planning Thread”
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Organizing Muse Academy’s preeminent festive occasion, the spring formal.
(If you need a little institutional memory, here’s how the planning went last year.)
Comments are closed.
All right, the things that need to be planned are:
-Food
-Music
-Decorations
-Festivities
-Et cetera
The H&H can cater this year as well, if that is desired. I suggest formal attire, but that can be debated.
Formal attire is traditional, invariable, and non-negotiable.
Okay, does anybody want to go with the cherry blossom trees from last year?
I do!
By the way, would it be acceptable for me to wear either a tuxedo or a dress?
A resounding ‘yes’ on the cherry blossoms, Kai…Well, I better go design my gown!
Nym–A dress or a tux is fine, just so long as it’s formal.
Cherry blossoms! Yes!
*walks away singing sakura, sakura….*
Does formal mean black tux, or does formal mean it can be… say, pinstripe or yellow or blue?
Formal is not limited to black tie. If you want to go in pinstripe, yellow, or blue, go for it.
It’s also not limited to this century, togas to 1400’s to now is fine.
Just no costumes* or everyday wear (Beavo got to visit the emergency wardrobe department due to a pirate costume).
*Fancy historic attire that would have gone to aristocratic parties in ‘ye olden’ days are exempt to this rule.
Maybe we could have some sort of historical theme? I have found a gorgeous civil war era gown that I would love to have. It would probably be a bit warm in real life, but I can pretend. *Potters off in a daze to do homework*
Someone go get IBCF – we need him on hand when the boatload of hors d’oeuvres arrives.
Cherry blossoms sound nice – but what if we went with like a… futuristic “Apple” type bright white and brushed steel theme? That’d be awesome…ooh, and we could hire Steve Jobs to show off his latest inventions
I’ve never been to one of these before… Cool.
Could we do like, a Colonial Era theme? I love the clothes from that time period.
I assume there’s an orchestra; Can I play my flute?
5- No. I will personally burn the hall down if it is decorated in that fashion. Blech. Now I’m nauseous.
Also, Steve Jobs might still be sore about how my friends and I seemingly stole a prototype iPhone back in 2006, even thogh we didn’t. (This is a reference to an SSSS I did a while back.)
7- And I will help. It’s too cold and bleak. Spring is warm and… springy. (Clever choice of words, I know.)
I think that the Apple theme is perfect…. for a WINTER holiday. I think that Cherry Blossoms or perhaps an Oriental theme would be wonderful.
Keiffer: You should wear a black leather jacket, with a black shirt and black pants, Luna should wear a brown full length blue pinstripe trench coat, and I’ll wear an Oxford style shirt, black pants, maroon bow tie and tweed jacket!
Spring in Iceland is a lot like winter in some other places.
Nice.
And I’ll wear…. My outfit that I wear when I get to go see the Symphony?
Black skirt-pants-thingies, and an elegant-looking (on me- on anyone else it looks cool and hippie-ish, but on me it somehow manages to be elegant. :roll;:) shirt that is dark blue tie-dye pattern, tights, and black dress shoes?
Hahahaha, we’d all be going as the Doctors! I dunno if I’m even going….And I’m not necessarily sure those would really fit as the sort of formal wear desired. Definitley not the Ninth Doctor’s attire, the others, sure, for a guy….
I’m off to design my gown!
I’ll also help head the music department, we’ll be having a traditional orchestra, right? I can go pick out some spring-y pieces. *off to YouTube*
I think I’ll design my suit, unless Keiffer and Luna agree to wear what I suggested.
I don’t know why, but that sounded like it was worded as blackmail.
As in,
“Keiffer and Luna must wear what I suggested, or I’ll design my own suit.” *dramatic music*
Ha.
It kinda does, though….
I did design my suit, but since people are going to wear what I suggested (Perhaps JW can wear the pinstripes?) I won’t send it in. It’s very bright.
*agrees to wear what you suggested* I’ll make sure to hide my Sonic Screwdriver in my shoe.
Like Maxwell Smart! Except it’s not a telephone. I don’t think. Is it?
Nope. It’s a screwdriver. That’s sonic.
Sonic screwdriver? Who looks at a screwdriver and says “This could be more sonic”?
What, never been bored? Never had a long night, never had a lot of cabinets to put up?
Yeah… But it’s a sonic screwdriver. I figured it could do pretty much everything…..so I thought there might have been a telephone. * fail *
We have to play Eine Kleine Nacht Musique. I love that song. Plus my chamber group is playing it.
We did last year.
We did?
No, mine and Pseudo’s and Keiffer’s and SudoRandom’s chamber group.
Ohhhh…. *headdesk*
That was a fail…
Um, this is probably a weird question, but do we change our avatars on the ball thread? (I mean misspell our emails, not change Gravatars)
Enceladus – I’ll fill the opening if one of them doesn’t want to wear what you said!
It’s not a masked ball, so there’s no reason to do so.
Unless you want to put your dress or tux or whatnot as your gravatar…
Oriental theming sounds like a good idea.
5- I suggested a futuristic-themed party for Yuri’s Night of next year over on the Suggestion Box thread.
I like the idea of an Oriental theme. Spring in Japan is the most beautiful thing I ever saw!
According to a bit of research, some things done at spring festivals ’round the world and through time are horse races, sowing barley, throwing colorful packets at one another, setting off fireworks, eating eggs, setting bonfires, and decorating bushes. So here are a few suggestions:
Planting a tree! We can name it and discuss it as if it were a person and talk to it on occasion!
Decorating an already existing tree like a Christmas tree, but with ribbons and flowers and garlands and colored eggshells and such.
Setting things on fire. Setting lots of things on fire.
YAY MAY DAY!
Yes! Trees and fire! (Just as long as the fire stays away from the tree.)
12- Decorating a tree as part of an Oriental party would actually be a really good idea, because there’s a Japanese myth where the sun goddess hid away in sadness (causing winter) until the people decorated a tree with ribbons and mirrors and partied around it. Their music was so loud and joyous that the goddess was cheered up and drawn back out again.
So Eastern deities suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder?
*bursts out laughing*
Yeah, I guess maybe they did.
Ze proposed food:
Puffin puffs
Fried clam cakes
Cucumber sandwiches
Salad
Bread steeped in salad dressing with melted cheese on top
Scones
Marshmallow pineapple jello cake (I forget the name)
White chocolate heath bars shaped like the Muses
Those triangle grilled vegetable bread things
A lemon creme vanilla cake
Donuts
Don’t forget the cream puffs!
I propose serving HPB Peeps as well.
(Darn, now I can’t use that smiley anymore without thinking of my blobling…)
Re: springy pieces. If we’re going to go with Western classical, I’d like to suggest:
Richard Strauss – Eine Alpensinfonie
Vivaldi – Four Seasons: Spring (of course)
Mendelssohn – Spring Song
Stravinsky – Rite of Spring
Copland – Appalachian Spring
Debussy – Printemps (Suite Symphonique)
Debussy – and Images for Orchestra: III, Rondes de Printemps
Schumann – Symphony No. 1 in B major (Spring Symphony)
And of course I’d love to play…I’ll try to find some more pieces later on.
Those are all fabulous choices. We should also probably play Copland’s Outdoor Overture, as it is very in season.
Thanks! Yes, we should probably add that to the list. Is there anything else you can think of that relates to spring? Or does it have to relate to spring?
I think more in-season pieces would fit nicely. Maybe we should have a set list this time…
We could also have solo pieces when other orchestra members wanted to take a break!
For my ABRSM Violin Grade 8 exam one of my pieces was Shostakovich’s Fruhlingwalzer (Spring Waltz), with piano accompaniment. I could do it if you like…
Okay! I’ll play your virtual piano accompaniment.
I’d also be willing to contribute the Prelude to Bach’s 1st Cello Sonata, it’s very lovely and in season.
Gavottes. We need some gavottes.
Eine Kleine Nacht Musique 1st mov. always struck me as a rather springy piece. Just my three cents.
No, better idea: just play Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War” over and over again. Full orchestra w/ organ. DUNDUNDUNDUN DUN DUNDUNDUN DUNDUNDUNDUN DUN DUNDUNDUN
Do you think that it’s a sign of my Who obsession that I read that as “Mars, the Bringer of Water”?
3 (KaiYves): I’m another voting for cherry blossoms! Some additional varieties of flowers would be great, too.
8.1.1 (Robert Coontz): I’m glad I don’t live in Iceland! I need warm weather in order to maintain my sanity.
12 (Cat’s Eye): What exactly would you set on fire? Should I be afraid?
More suggested food:
Pasta salad
Citrus things
Beet and carrot salad
Some seafood would be nice… Crabcakes?
Veggie platter
Cheese and spinach souffles
Stuffed mushrooms
Quiches
Special breads, some containing herbs. I think herbs are very springy.
Vegetable tempura (So yummy!)
Spanakopita
Pie! Key lime, lemon chess, cherry, blueberry, pumpkin, I like ’em all, but there should be pie.
Black Forest cake
More chocolate–baked goods and candy.
Some more vegan and vegetarian things would be good.
A musical suggestion:
The already suggested selections all sound good. I think some more modern pieces should be played at some time as well. That’s happened in the past and it does add some variety.
Sometimes I wish we had built Muse Academy in the Azores. I suppose we could move it, but we’d have to learn Portuguese.
Well, we already know “cancelar”! One down, one heck of a lot to go!
Ah, the Azores sound nice. Learning Portuguese wouldn’t be a great bother to me.
A slight expansion upon vocabulary: we also know “armada”, meaning “a slightly acrobatic spinning kick,” thanks to the blogger who selected it for her moniker. So, we can easily begin to communicate with locals, using this very useful phrase: “Cancelar o armada!” “Cancel the slightly acrobatic spinning kick!” This shall prove us to be very suave, with an impressive understanding of their culture.
And also would protect us from any possibly danger there could ever be.
I VOTE ORIENTAL, I VOTE ORIENTAL, I VOTE ORIENTAL AND DEBUSSY FOR THE MUSIC. *skips around in happiness*
Would a ball gown be too fancy? I really like the one I drew, so hopefully not!
I had a dream that the May Day Ball was a giant KoKon. It was… AWESOME.
I dreamed about it too! I was some sort of society lady/judge/Irene from Gattaca/in general cool person in it.
I drew my dress. GAPAs, what email should I send the picture to?
The best address for art is now thegapas @ gmail.com . We still check our Fan Page account, gapa @ musefanpage.com, however. (We’ve set up aliases so some common variations will work, too.)
We should bolt the pie tins to the table, for obvious reasons-although let’s hope no one gets the temptation anyway. *looks around suspiciously*
And I vote for an electric organ, just because.
I doubt anyone would dare throw pies at a Museblog Ball. *glares warningly at the surrounding populace*.
Another suggested food item- baklava (a really yummy greek pastry with nuts, honey, and phyllo dough).
Music-wise? I think a mix of classical (like Debussy) and classic rock (the Beatles, Aerosmith) would be nice.
Any other suggestions? This thread kind of died a few days ago.
BTW, did the GAPAs get the dress picture I sent them? Blue with a flower on it?
We have the dress, Sunrunner. It’s beautiful, and we’ll post it soon.
*would not dare*
I can play two songs from Debussy’s Childrens Corner- Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum and Golliwog’s Cakewalk, on the piano.
I love Golliwog’s Cakewalk! I can also play Clare de Lune on the piano, if anyone wants.
For music, I think it’d be nice to hear “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie at the Ball.
We’ll waltz to it.
I love that phrase. I’ve never heard the song, but “The Rainbow Connection” just sounds so beautiful.
I love that song! We’ll definitely play it.
I sent in my dress! It took me awhile to finished the shading, and the hem’s not quite right, but I like it.
I sent it to the old address, gapa@musefanpage.com, is that ok?
Did I even hit the post button, or did my post meet the GAPA Zap of Doom? Anyway (I thought I posted here last night) as far as music goes I suggest…maybe, Train or Weezer (like, Drops of Jupiter or Island in the Sun, respectively). Looking up The Rainbow Connection right now…
Gowns for the ball.
For Sunrunner Bramblewood:
For Agrrrfishi:
Pretty! But how do they stay on?
Fortunately, in the virtual world everything fits perfectly.
Or you use virtual dress tape.
Absolutely beautiful. Love the pink one!
Thank you!
We desperately need to choose a theme for the decorations. The ball’s just a few days away, after all.
My vote’s for the cherry trees and vaguely Asian theme.
I agree with Kai. Cherry trees and Asian theme.
I’ll second that.
Thirded.
I agree with the vaguely Asian theme!
Should we have an Asian garden on the roof? We could have more cherry tress up there, and some shrubbery and we could shear our own bonsai trees. Or, we could have a dance floor with a pagoda roof where soloists could play.
Good ideas! I also agree with the theme of an Asian spring – cherry blossoms are awesome! I think agrrrfishi’s ideas of the garden and dance floor are highly commendable, and I will vote for that unless anyone has any other suggestions.
Yeah, me to – thirded, or fourthed, depending on correct grammar and where I am in the pecking order. Asian theme is good, dance floor is great, maybe a polished sort of bamboo floor, with a garden. We should have the rooftop garden again too, just as a place to escape. And perhaps the GAPAs could conjure up some muses to talk to? We could see if Feather likes cherry trees.
I think that the rooftop garden should be a maze like last year, except Asian decoration. Perhaps it could be shaped like a yin-yang.
Just so you know, I posted my bit of the ST(S) fan-fic. (Can we call it that? ‘Cause ST means Star Trek and STS means space shuttle?)
That sounds like a great idea.
Ooh, yin-yang. I’ll second (third?) that.
26.1.1 (Rebecca Lasley): Also, they always look stunning! And they’re comfortable! Wardrobe is far easier to deal with in the realm of the non-tangible.
27 (Piggy): I thought we had. The cherry blossom/Asian-inspired theme seems really popular, at any rate.
31 (Enceladus): I’m with you on the maze. Yin-yang sounds good.
Maze = good.
And what if we hired a cheap stand – up comedian from NYC?Never mind. How about an expensive, clean act of comedy by, say, Lewis Black. Heh heh…or the cast of Red vs Blue, if you know what I’m talking about. Oh, dear, Burnie Burns in a room full of people like us…(no insult intended. we bloggers have a rep for being slightly weirder than the social norm).Anyway, I second the maze. Er, wait, I THIRD the maze. Aw, man. I’ll fifth it, then.
How exactly would one go about having a maze in the shape of a yin-yang?
I suppose you could either dye the trees or use trees with contrasting-colored leaves.
Yes, but a circle doesn’t exactly accommodate the…erm….gaps and such needed for the actual maze path.
Easy: A maze with circular outer walls, divided by an S-shaped partition that splits it into two chambers. In each chamber, a series of concentric comma-shaped sub-chambers. Openings and partitions as necessary to make it a maze. I’ve sketched out a simple one using a clunky plastic compass made for primary-school kids. I’ll scan and post it later, and MBers can then improve on the design.
We could use Japanese Maples for the dark side and Akebono trees (flowering) for the white side.
I’ll go into GIMP and plan one out once Robert posts it!
I like Asian theme. The cherry blossoms should be fantastic in Japan ’round now, or a few weeks ago, or whatnot. Anyway, in Muse Academy whatever we want to be in season is always in season.
One of the benefits of living in, um, Iceland.
34.1.1- It’s virtual. We don’t need to be too concerned with specifics.
16.1.1.2- Aha! Our vocabulary has doubled!
So:
Vaguely asian theme, including cherry blossoms and a yin-yang maze. Presumably made of two different shades of green, or maybe cherry blossoms and evergreens, or some such.
I’d suggest bonsai decorating the tables, ballroom, and such. Maybe paper lanterns as well. Hm, maybe the paper lanterns decorating the maze? I can just see them glimmering, maybe a section of the rooftop garden that’s not maze-y, but just paths weaving through trees, with benches, illuminated by paper lanterns.
And fireflies. I’m not sure they’d like the climate in Iceland, though…
Anyway, I have to go. I’ll post more later.
I think that the music should be classical music, or whatever, in the style of Asian music. Which means using a pentatonic scale.
Kotos! We should have some koto music!
AAA! I don’t know what I’m going to wear to the Ball and it’s in less than three days!
Crisis time!
Oh, and I agree with whoever was saying that there should be a mix of genres. I like pretty much anything, I guess. Also, I play a few instruments so I wouldn’t mind playing some music.
How ’bout a toga virilis? That’s what I’ll be wearing. I would wear a toga picta, but I haven’t had any big military victories lately. Of course, I could wear a solid purple toga trabea, since I’m obviously a god. (û_û)
</geekery>
Thanks for the suggestion, Piggy, but I’ve got my own idea now.
Oh, and by the way, are shoes required? They probably are, I’m just checking.
I’ll probably kick my ( very designer, very beautiful
) shoes off in time. So I hope they’re not required.
This ball is Muse Academy’s spring formal. Anyone unfamiliar with that word may look it up.
One fringe benefit of Muse Academy events: your clothes always fit perfectly, look wonderful, and are indescribably comfortable.
So is grass.
Yeah, that’s what I figured… Oh well.
I like the idea of a yin-yang maze. And Enc’s idea of classical music in a pentatonic scale.
Here’s what I want to wear (just to pst soething. X\):
My dress is light green, with a white under-layer of fabric. It has a sort of stripe, where the white fabric pokes through, and the stripe is surrounded by white flowers. A bit of the white fabric peeks out at the top of the dress (which is strapless).
I never described my dress!
It’s a a light blue strapless dress. Coming up from the bottom of it, there are dark blue swirls. There is a thick black ribbon that is just above the waist line. The dress is knee length and it has ruffle thingies at the bottom. I will have black high heel shoes and my hair will be curly.
Sounds beautiful.
Here is the promised Yin-Yang Maze for the rooftop garden:
(Of course, a similarly designed maze could be as big and complicated as you needed it to be. All you’d have to do is scale it up.)
That’s awesome! Perhaps the pagoda-like pavilion/performance area could be at the center?
Aw, the trick of running your hand along the right hand side would work….No fun. *sniffle* On a random note, I’ve only bee in one actual maze. ’twas at Leeds Castle, in England. ’twas lots and lots of fun….
It’s not designed to be a particularly challenging maze — just a pleasant diversion.
It’s more like a labyrinth than a maze.