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Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge "Where the Elite Meet the Street" Join us for an evening of dancing and gaiety as we celebrate backstage at the fabulous Moulin Rouge Theatre. Anyone with the price of a drink could enter the Moulin Rouge....but, if you were very lucky, very good looking or very, very rich you might be invited to go backstage to join the fabulous mix of high life and low life in the Performer's Garden. On Saturday, October 12th, you will be one of those lucky few. Join us as we rub elbows with nobles, wits and rogues at one of history's greatest parties. This theme presents a wide range of costuming possibilities. These include: Gypsies * Dandies * Dancers * Artists * Soldiers and Sailors * Courtesans & Prostitutes * Street Urchins * Students & Intellectuals * Poets & Writers * Magicians & Street Performers * Mediums & Occultists * Aristocrats * Thieves and Con Artists * Travelers and Immigrants * Members of the Working Class * Diplomats & Spies * Actors & Clowns * Gamblers & Card Sharks * Policeman & Politicians * Unionists & Anarchists * Upper-class men and women on "The Grand Tour" * Members of Royal Houses from around the world * Ne'er do Well's from many nations Backstage at the Moulin Rouge was the place to be in 19th Century Paris. Artists and performers rubbed shoulders with thieves and diplomats backstage while dancers performed before the rest of Paris in the most famous dance hall in the world. Such a gathering of wit, elegance and artistic genius has rarely been seen in history. The creative ideas that began in Paris soon spread to all of Europe and become known as the Bohemian Movement. Who Comes: Last year we had over 600 people attend the Witches Ball. We expect to increase that number this year and we have rented a hall that will hold 1,000 attendees. You can read about last year's ball here. Details About the Site for This Year's Ball: The San Jose Civic Auditorium is located in the heart of downtown San Jose. It has the Tech Museum on one side and the Convention Center on the other side. It is within walking distance of many wonderful restaurants, pubs, city parks, shops and hotels. It is conveniently located near the 280 and 17 freeways. Both the downtown buses and the light rail stop directly in front of this building. This area is very safe both day and night. There will be plenty of parking for all. The auditorium itself has a large interior stage with modern equipment. There is plenty of seating all around dance floor. The dance floor itself can easily accommodate 1,000 people. A Brief History of the Bohemian Movement: The term Bohemian was used then to describe free living, free thinking people. Bohemians questioned the social conventions of their day and they were independent, artistic, witty, and colorful. They believed that one could make one's life into art and that art should reflect real life. They were enthralled with the mystery and wonder of existence. As a group, they had what the French call "joie de vivre". This movement was closely allied with the city of Paris. During the second half of the nineteenth century, Paris emerged as the entertainment capital of the world. The sparkling redesigned city fostered a culture of energetic crowd-pleasing amusements that presented real life as a grand and dazzling spectacle. The theatre Moulin Rouge was at the heart of this movement. The Moulin Rouge was a cafe, dance hall, and theatre all in one. It was known as the "rendezvous du high life". People came from all over to dance, to watch the dancers, and to watch each other watching the dancers. The artist Toulouse-Lautrec was there, at the same table every night, drinking and sketching everything that caught his fancy, particularly the dancers. Historically, the Bohemian Movement began in Paris the 1830's and ended in 1914 with the beginning of World War I. Cultural influences on Europe during this time included those from India, Asia, Turkey, Africa, and the Middle East (then known as Arabia). Costumes from these many lands and periods would be appropriate. The Bohemian movement brought forth deep changes in culture. It oversaw a clash of high and low art that sent spasms through painting, sculpture, music and writing that continue to this day. The Bohemians influenced the Beat Generation of the 1950's who in turn influenced the Counterculture of the 1960s. The Bohemians, the Beats, and the Counterculture have in their turn greatly influenced (for both good and ill) what is now known as the Modern Pagan Movement.