The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society

The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society is an interpretive program of Arlington House, founded by Custis from his grandmother.

The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society was founded as a volunteer interpretive program of Arlington House, a historic home built between 1802 and 1818. It was the home of George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington and step-grandson of George Washington, who was raised at Mount Vernon by the Washingtons. The only surviving child of GWP Custis and his wife Mary Lee Fitzhugh,

Mary Anna Randolph Custis, married Lt. Robert Edward Lee in the parlor in 1831, six of their seven children were born at Arlington, and the Lee family considered it home until the Civil War. The Arlington estate was also home to 60+ enslaved people, inherited by Mr. They built home, maintained the property and served the family until the estate was occupied by Union troops in April, 1861, the beginning of the Civil War. The home and grounds are administered by the National Park Service, and are located in what is now Arlington National Cemetery. The mid-19th century dance troupe was founded in 2012 by Arlington House volunteer Amy Delery, director and dance mistress, 2012-2017, now consulting. John Michel, an original dancer with the group, then served as dance master, and the current dance mistress is Naomi Arlund. Member Vanna Patterson Lewis also calls and teaches dances. The members are dedicated volunteers and living historians who enjoy learning and performing dances of the mid-19th century. The group has performed at Arlington House, Fort Washington, the Anacostia Arts Center, the Army-Navy Country Club, Sully Historic Site, and other Washington, DC area venues.

We are rehearsing again! If you're interested in more information, send an email or PM.
06/24/2022

We are rehearsing again!
If you're interested in more information, send an email or PM.

12/01/2021
09/28/2021
Excellent video!
05/09/2020
moving in a crinoline 1

Excellent video!

Crinoline cages are often viewed as clunky, unwieldy contraptions that considerably hindered the movement of the wearer. I have been wearing these for work o...

So, here's a brilliant idea for staying safe while dancing during the pandemic. It's better if you have a live-in partn...
04/25/2020

So, here's a brilliant idea for staying safe while dancing during the pandemic. It's better if you have a live-in partner, of course. Nevertheless, we love to dance!
Many thanks to those who devised this plan and produced the video.
https://youtu.be/dVABt2_JNbQ

03/16/2020

And another...

The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society...We spent a lovely afternoon practicing our dances at Fort Washington earli...
03/15/2020

The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society...
We spent a lovely afternoon practicing our dances at Fort Washington earlier this month. Here are a few photos provided by member Michael Pierce.

03/15/2020

We spent a lovely afternoon practicing our dances at Fort Washington earlier this month. Here are a few photos provided by member Michael Pierce.

03/02/2020

On this day in Arlington history, March 1, 1861, Robert E. Lee returns to Arlington House from his US Army post in Texas after it seceded. In the midst of the secession crisis when Texas had seceded a month earlier, the commander of the Army's Texas Department, General David Twiggs, surrendered all US forces, which included Lee. Lee was able to leave Fort Mason where he was stationed and return to Washington. Once home, he and Mary prayed that the "designs of ambitious and selfish politicians who would dismember our glorious country may be frustrated and that our own state may act right and obtain the result promised in the Bible to the peace makers."

Christmas on the farm 1859
12/05/2019
Christmas on the farm 1859

Christmas on the farm 1859

What was it like to celebrate the Christmas holiday in rural Virginia 160 years ago? Burke Moeller visits one historical site that tells the story of the roo...

A little fun in Gettysburg
11/30/2019

A little fun in Gettysburg

Some members of the Society and guest from a recent dance at Fort Washington.
09/30/2019

Some members of the Society and guest from a recent dance at Fort Washington.

09/04/2019
George Washington Memorial Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)
08/07/2019
George Washington Memorial Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)

George Washington Memorial Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)

The George Washington Memorial Parkway was designed for recreational driving. It links sites that commemorate important episodes in American history and preserve habitat for local wildlife. The parkway and its associated trails provide a scenic place to play and rest in the busy Washington, DC metro...

How to raise a history lover: 6 ways
07/18/2019
How to raise a history lover: 6 ways

How to raise a history lover: 6 ways

The summer I was ten, my parents took me to visit the restored town of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We stepped into the musical instrument shop where I watched craftsmen constructing violins.…

07/12/2019

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM. Even Anne Mason. (Well, maybe. Quite probably. Who doesn't like ice cream?)

Come to Gunston Hall this Summer Saturday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., to make and taste an 18th century version of this tasty treat.

06/30/2019

Mary Anna Randolph Custis, daughter of Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis and George Washington Parke Custis, and great granddaughter of Martha Washington, because the wife of Lt. Robert Edward Lee this day, June 30, in 1831, at Arlington House...and there was dancing!

Just a bit of humor...
06/30/2019

Just a bit of humor...

Friday Funny.

The forgotten history of Memorial Day
05/26/2019
The forgotten history of Memorial Day

The forgotten history of Memorial Day

The early evolution of the Memorial Day holiday was a manifestation of Abraham Lincoln’s hope for reconciliation between North and South.

Dancing can reverse the signs of aging in the brain
05/23/2019
Dancing can reverse the signs of aging in the brain

Dancing can reverse the signs of aging in the brain

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the s...

05/18/2019

Think about this. It is absolutely true. Let's keep the arts in learning for every child!

Address

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, VA
22211

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society:

Videos

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society is a volunteer interpretive program of Arlington House, the Lee Memorial of the National Park Service, located in Arlington National Cemetery. The mid-19th century dance troupe was founded in 2012 by Arlington House volunteer Amy Delery, director and dance mistress from 2012-2017, now dance mistress "emeritus." John Michel, an original dancer with the group, served as Dance Master from April 2017 until December 2019, and Mrs Naomi Arlund, who has danced with us since 2014, is the current Dance Mistress. The members are are dedicated volunteers and living historians who enjoy learning and performing dances of the mid-19th century. The group has performed at Arlington House, Fort Washington, the Anacostia Arts Center, the Army-Navy Country Club, Sully Historic Site, and other Washington, DC area venues.

Nearby government services

Other Public & Government Services in Arlington

Show All

Comments

We are rehearsing again!
If you're interested in more information, send an email or PM.
Looks like great fun.
Lots of borrowing from the past.

https://seeitlive.co/prom-couple-kaleidoscope-routine/?utm_source=page_jm&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=bdf13982-1446-4784-9aab-040af05720d4&utm_content=dance
Excellent video!
So, here's a brilliant idea for staying safe while dancing during the pandemic. It's better if you have a live-in partner, of course. Nevertheless, we love to dance!
Many thanks to those who devised this plan and produced the video.
https://youtu.be/dVABt2_JNbQ
And another...
The Arlington House Victorian Dance Society...
We spent a lovely afternoon practicing our dances at Fort Washington earlier this month. Here are a few photos provided by member Michael Pierce.
We spent a lovely afternoon practicing our dances at Fort Washington earlier this month. Here are a few photos provided by member Michael Pierce.
A pause in the dancing at Fort Washington
So, dance!
Join us for an afternoon of dancing on Sunday, March 1st, 1:00-3:00 pm at Fort Washington Park.
Free event.
Come as you are.
Ah, but does he dance? If not, we can help.
#}