One shining light of a show helped me get through the early stages of the pandemic. Set in the Regency Era of the early 1800s, Bridgerton made waves as a fun period show full of gorgeous actors, beautiful settings, and a riveting storyline.
When I, like many others during this time, binged this series relentlessly (Bridgerton amassed 625.49 million views in its first four weeks on Netflix alone), I became entranced not just by the storyline, but also by the dazzling costumes and gorgeous social events. I watched as characters dawned the breathtakingly beautiful gowns and sophisticated suits of the Regency Era, arrived at beautiful destinations, and whirled around beautiful rooms in pre-learned dances that encouraged the mixing of young individuals to lively classical music (or at least, classical versions of Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish with some Vivaldi scattered in the mix).
People seemed comfortable — the pre-learned dances ensured that everyone was comfortable engaging and dancing to the music. They dressed to the nines, presented as their best selves, and interacted in beautiful settings that encouraged respectful conduct and sophistication.
And I was far from alone — many girls around me voiced similar opinions:
I wish we had set dances to learn so I didn’t feel so awkward standing and jumping awkwardly in a mosh pit.
It would be so much easier to meet other people this way in a party setting than going yelling over house music in a fraternity basement.
If prom was like this, I wouldn’t have left early.
I wish we could bring back costumes from this time — I would die to wear something like this again!
Over and over, I heard sentiments of this nature among other girls. The desire was clear: Bring back balls and events of this nature! A controlled setting like this, where people can collectively learn and participate in a known activity helps to alleviate stresses about letting loose in social settings (it’s why schools have set chants and young girls play hand-clapping games). Girls love excuses to dress up and feel like the best versions of themselves, and formal attire plays directly into these wants. The structure encourages mixing among young individuals looking to connect in a respectful, fun way (it’s a lot more fun and romantic to be approached by a person asking for a dance than to be grossly hit on in a club or bar).
There are, of course, some shortfalls. This kind of event can be costly and inaccessible (as demonstrated in the Regency Era, where only those in high society were able to partake). And while it would be a fairytale to consistently dawn beautiful Regency Era dresses, this is likely unrealistic (and does not allow for freer gender and creative expression). However, there are ways that we can increase accessibility and put modern twists on these older traditions – people may dress according to what they interpret as formal attire. Additionally, more casual events of a similar thread could be hosted. A resurgence in line dancing provides a perfect opportunity of this nature, where the setting is more casual but the ideas of set dances and social mingling still are present.
Regardless, these kinds of activities beat cramming and sweating in a 100ºF sports house basement any day in my book. And I – and many other girls –- want to bring them back.