The Terpsichorean Club Debutante Ball, commonly known as the North Carolina Debutante Ball, is an annual debutante ball held in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ball, hosted by the Terpsichorean Club of Raleigh, is the oldest and most prestigious debutante ball in North Carolina. Originally organized in 1923 as the Raleigh Fall Festival, the formal debutante ball formed in 1927 with the founding of the Terpsichorean Club. The ball is held every year over Labor Day weekend in downtown Raleigh. It is the only remaining state-wide debutante ball in the United States.
| North Carolina Debutante Ball | |
|---|---|
| Genre | debutante ball |
| Date(s) | Labor Day weekend |
| Frequency | annually |
| Location(s) | Angus Barn (luncheon) Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts (presentation) Carolina Country Club (ball) |
| Inaugurated | 1927 |
| Patron(s) | The Terpsichorean Club |
History
editThe North Carolina Debutante Ball was originated in 1923, when a group of merchants from Raleigh, North Carolina sponsored the Raleigh Fall Festival. Young women from prominent North Carolinian families were presented as candidates to be crowned as Queen of the Festival by the Governor of North Carolina.[1] In 1927 the Terpsichorean Club, a secret society named after the Greek muse Terpsichore, was formed to organize and sponsor the first official North Carolina Debutante Ball.[2] The annual ball was set to be held on the first weekend after Labor Day at the Raleigh Civic Center.[1][3]
Over time, the debutante season expanded from one evening ball to a weekend including tea parties, luncheons, parties, and two formal dances held at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.[1][4][5] During this time, the tradition of having each debutante formally presented, as they were during the festival, was reestablished. Each debutante was escorted by a chief marshal and four assistant marshals. In 1956 the rules changed and the number of assistant marshals permitted was reduced to two. In 1953 the rules were changed again to allow fathers to serve as chief marshals for their daughters.[1]
The ball was placed on a hiatus during World War II.[6][7] In 1948 the ball was postponed until the week after Christmas due to a polio epidemic in the Piedmont Triad.[1] In 1996 the ball was postponed again due to severe damage across the state from Hurricane Fran.[1]
The first African-American debutante was presented at the ball in 2017.[8]
Modern ball
editEvery year young women from around North Carolina, usually in their freshman or sophomore year of college, are nominated to be presented at the ball.[9] Members of the Terpsichorean Club make the final selection of candidates. The women are selected from families who have made economic, social, cultural, or civic contributions to North Carolina.[6] A "lead debutante" is selected every year from Wake County, as the seat of the state capitol.[6] The ball weekend, still during Labor Day weekend, includes eight functions.[10] Prior to the ball, a father-daughter luncheon is held at Angus Barn, an upscale steakhouse.[11] The formal presentation of debutantes takes place at Meymandi Concert Hall in the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh and the ball is held at Carolina Country Club.[6][12]
The North Carolina Debutante Ball is the only remaining state-wide debutante ball in the United States.[8]
Notable debutantes
edit- Lucile Aycock McKee, 1936, socialite and president of the Junior League of Raleigh[13]
- Betty Cordon, 1941, socialite[13]
- Mary Johnson Hart, 1929, wife of Julian Deryl Hart[13]
- Mary Lambeth Moore, 1977, writer and podcaster[14]
- Marguerite McKee Moss, 1963, socialite
- Joanna Pearson, 1999, writer and psychiatrist[15]
- Mishew Edgerton Smith, 1953, socialite[13]
- Adrian Thorpe Harrold Wood, 1994, educator, writer, and blogger[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "North Carolina Debutante Ball | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org.
- ^ "Terpsichorean Club of Raleigh announces 2017 N.C. Debutantes | Raleigh News & Observer". Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "Fifty-first Annual Debutante Ball: Raleigh Civic Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, September 8th, 9th, 10th MCMLXXVII". Terpsichorean Club. February 21, 1977 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Article" (PDF). newspapers.digitalnc.org. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Terpsichorean Club (Raleigh, N.C.) (February 21, 1968). Forty-second annual debutante ball: Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, North Carolina, September 5th, 6th, 7th MCMLXVIII. Terpsichorean Club. OCLC 214034119 – via Open WorldCat.
- ^ a b c d Staff, North State Journal (July 21, 2019). "2019 North Carolina Debutantes announced".
- ^ "Hickory women to be presented at North Carolina Debutante Ball". HDR | Hickory Daily Record.
- ^ a b Richards, Andrea (August 20, 2024). "In a New Podcast, North Carolina Debutantes Take Their Gloves Off". Indy Week. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Debutante Society". www.wfae.org.
- ^ a b "An Unlikely Debutante". Carolinaparent.com. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ https://nsjonline.com/article/2022/06/2021-north-carolina-debutante-ball-held-in-raleigh/
- ^ https://nsjonline.com/article/2022/06/2021-north-carolina-debutante-ball-held-in-raleigh/
- ^ a b c d Cameron, Dotty (August 8, 1954). "State's Top Social Event: Debutante Register Features North Carolina's Ball". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Edwards, Sarah (August 23, 2024). "Field Guide: The Shadowy World of North Carolina Debutante Balls". Indy Week. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Joanna. "Confession: I Was a Reluctant Debutante". storySouth. Retrieved July 20, 2024.