The Avalon Ball 2016

These are a few of my favorite things....

At The Ball (Page Nine)

It's that time... Reach for the "year hand" and move it back 10 1920's or 1930's ...

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Time to dance

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
We had eleven tables reserved for us... Thank you Sharlene  Choy

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The tables look empty... Must fix

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Now that looks better!

Did You Know? - Ten things you must remember!

10) In the movie adaptations James Bond drinks Champagne more than any other beverage (nearly 40 glasses and counting).

9) The classic Champagne coupe was adapted from a wax mold made from the breast of Marie Antoinette.

8) There is about 90 pounds per square inch of pressure in a bottle of Champagne. That's more than triple the pressure in an automobile tire.

7) A Champagne cork reaches a velocity of about 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour) if popped out of the bottle. We recommend carefully twisting the cork out with a towel covering the bottle so no wine escapes and you don't hurt a bystander.

6) Actress Marilyn Monroe took a bath in 350 bottles of Champagne. We are sure it was not at the proper temperature for drinking, however.

5) The longest recorded flight of a Champagne cork is over 177 feet (54 meters).

4) Don't drink Champagne quickly or the bubbles will cause the alcohol to enter your bloodstream too fast often causing a headache. Savor your Champagne in small sips to taste the wine but also dissipate the bubbles before swallowing.

3) A Champagne riddler can turn as many as 50,000 bottles in a single day.

2) The largest bottle size for Champagne is called a Melchizedek and is equal to 40 standard bottles or 30 liters.

1) There are approximately 49 million bubbles in a standard sized bottle of Champagne.

 

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Looks pretty empty but just you wait
It is still the world's largest circular ballroom at 180 feet diameter

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The band sets up

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
We had great seats right up front and perhaps
ten feet from the steps to the dance floor

Did You Know? - On May 29, 1929, the new Catalina Casino was completed under the direction of Wrigley and David M. Renton, at a cost of 2 million dollars. Its design, by Sumner Spaulding and Walter Weber, is in the Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival styles. It was the first movie theatre to be designed specifically for films with sound ("talkies"). It received the Honor Award from the California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, as "one of the outstanding architectural accomplishments.

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Getting ready for a picture

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The music begins and they hit the floor running

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Whirling and twirling the night away

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The waltz's are so elegant

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Checking out the camera equipment

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
View from the promenade just outside the ballroom

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Sheri and Jose' are a fixture at the ball.... Also Nightlighters!

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
They look fantastic!

Did You Know? - With a height equal to a 12-story building, it was built to serve as a theatre on the main floor and a ballroom and promenade on the upper level.

Movie studio tycoons such as Cecil B. DeMille, Louis B. Mayer, and Samuel Goldwyn frequently came by yacht to the Casino to preview their newest cinema productions.

It also serves as the island's civil defense shelter, large enough to accommodate Catalina's entire year-round population. Within its walls is stored enough food and water for all Avalon's residents for two weeks.

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The floor is full of dancers

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The champagne is disappearing (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
What? Any empty table... Careful of the champagne thief! (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Sue! I see an unguarded bottle of champagne... What should I do?" (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Sit! Stay!" (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Eighty-five feet in the sky the Art Deco lighting hangs like a cloud (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The singers were fantastic (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The lighting around the periphery changes from time to time (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The pink lighting brings out the pink dresses (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Time for a pronouncement (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
We are about to hit the floor... Watch us!

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Hey there... Sue here... Working hard watching Paul" (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The music was amazing... 20's and 30's all evening (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Caught! (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Bottoms up!' (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Sharlene dropped by to say hello (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Did You Know? - The upper level houses the 20,000 square foot Catalina Casino Ballroom. It is the world's largest circular ballroom with a 180-foot (55 m) diameter dance floor, that can accommodate 3,000 dancers.

French doors encircle the room connecting the dance floor with the "Romance Promenade," an open balcony that runs around the building.

To reach the ballroom on the top level the Casino building has two ramped walkways, both in enclosed towers that extend out from the circular building.

Wrigley took the idea to use ramps instead of stairs from Wrigley Field, his Chicago Cubs stadium. The ramps allowed the large numbers of people using the ballroom to quickly move to and from their destinations. They each have a small lobby areas just below the dance floor level.

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Studying the dancer (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
You could see a little of everything out there (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
We surrounded our bottle of champagne! (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016 We had two lady singers this evening..  (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Donna is resting from her job today...
Bringing us all together again!
Thank you Donna (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
What is Wally up to? (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
They escaped from their boat and made it to the dance (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
All smiles (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
A flapper without the flaps? (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
In case there was a dance contest, we brought our own ringers
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
24 Skidoo (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Note: There has been inflation

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Hey... Dancers... Stop... I need to take a picture (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Back from the floor and still ready to dance some more! (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Ed and Kathy just returned form the floor (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Someone left the door open... (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Who needs to dance... I'll just sit here and squeeze you" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Yes... The blinding flash across the dance floor was us.... He
accidentally let go of me" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The moustache is looking at you (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
A delightful couple always with a costume surprise (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Dang... Look like a million dollars (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Everyone had a great time (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Gary... No blowing in my ear! The whistling noise annoys our table mates"
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The birthday boy gets re crowned! (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
To cool off one simply walks outside (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The dress does move the clock back a bit (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The camera sees all (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Dang! How do I turn this on?" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"No dear... I think it is the Bunny Hop!" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
New friends get introduced (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The floor was perfect this evening (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"We are sitting this one out..." (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"Do you want to see my diamond?" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
It begins!

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Were is our girls? (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Hans is capturing the event (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Looks to be about 300 strong (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Here comes Donna, Ghislaine, and Kerstin (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Go get 'em ladies (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Around and around we go! (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Kerstin is getting into it (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
The lights dim and they head outside for the promenade! (Courtesy of Sam)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
"We are on lap #2... When does it stop?" (Courtesy of Hans)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
They caught their second breath (Courtesy of Hans)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Getting ready to go... (Courtesy of Hans)

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016
Sue and Paul took the Otis freight elevator...

Did You Know? - Each week, from 1934 through the 1950s, radio listeners across the United States could hear, "From the beautiful Casino Ballroom overlooking Avalon Bay at Catalina Island, we bring you the music of … (insert the name of any of the famous bands of the era)." You could then imagine that you were dancing in that magical place.

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016

Avalon Ball May 14th 2016