VIENNA IS A CITY THAT HAS BALL SEASON WOVEN INTO ITS VERY FOUNDATIONS , with these vibrant and glistening parties hav- ing for centuries been held from No- vember until the start of spring each year. In this sea of opulence, celebra- tion and music, the famous St. Sava Ball has found its own place by suc- cessfully merging the cultures of the land of its origins and the land it to- day calls home. To the dulcet tones of waltzes, vi- olins and trumpets, along with Aus- trian and Serbian melodies, smiling Organised by the Serbian Centre in Vienna, the traditional St. Sava Ball at Hofburg Palace will provide a new opportunity for fun and to fuse the cultures of Serbia and Austria, but also for charity and humanity
faces sporting formal attire have been gathering for the Svetosava Ball since 1998, when this ball was renewed at the initiative of Vienna’s Serbian Cen- tre, despite having first been found- ed as far back as 1846. This event has always been, and remains, the most prestigious gathering of the Serbian diaspora community in the Austrian capital. This is the third year that the St. Sava Ball will be held at the Hof- burg, where the programme will un-
fold in a total of 14 halls of this magnif- icent imperial residence. The concept of Vienna’s balls implies guests be- ing unrestrained in their ability to move around the entire venue, ex- ploring the various musical and artis- tic programmes on offer during the event. Guests of the Serbian Ball at the Hofburg this 31 st January will en- joy, among other things, performanc- es of Stefan Milenković, Magnifico, Bisera Veletanlić, Marta Hadžimanov, Saša Vasić and many others. The St. Sava Ball’s official pro- gramme connects the two cultures and includes the Viennese waltz and traditional Serbian dances, but also performances by contempo- rary and popular artists. However, the evening’s most moving moment will be the performance of Johann Strauss Jr.’s Serbian Quadrille, with which the St. Sava Ball joins the se- ries of cultural events that the City of Vienna is staging until 23 rd June in celebration of the 200 th anniver- sary of the birth of Johann Strauss II (1825-1899).
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