CityView Magazine

32 July 2023 Her excitement for historical reenactment and costuming strengthened when at age 13, her father took her to her first Civil War reenactment. "We were living in Centerville, Virginia, when the 125th anniversaries of all of the Civil War battles were starting. My dad is a big history buff, so we went out to the Battle of Bull Run. I think I was wearing a dress from the wrong time, and some very nice people pointed me in the right direction. I've gotten better," Russell says with a laugh. Now, she is considered an expert in her field and loves sharing her passion with others, which is why she dreamed up the Grand Birthday Ball. "I wanted to have an event at the end of the workshops to celebrate Lafayette's birthday where we could all dress and dance as they did," says Russell, who is charmed by the pageantry of the era. Lafayette returns At least 40 to 50 people from out of state who share her passion for history reenactments have signed up for the ball. "I was definitely gearing this event toward those who travel for these types of events. ere used to be a big Jane Austen event in Tennessee that had a huge following. I went to a Bridgerton ball in D.C., which is also hosted in several places. I've been to Civil War balls a lot of times. I was drawing on those experiences because they are a lot of fun. Some of the ideas I've brought in for this came from those," says Russell. Tik Tok sensation Asta Darling will be the guest of honor. "Asta Darling is huge in historical costume cosplay and has millions of followers on Tik Tok and Instagram. She sews amazing costumes by hand," Russell says. North Carolina resident Lynn Bull also will be a featured guest, portraying the Marquis de Lafayette of 1825. Russell said the costumes for the Lafayette Ball will be from the late Regency period in 1824-1825. "e dresses have high waists and narrow-ish silhouettes. e late Regency is starting to turn toward the Romantic/ Victorian period, so waistlines are starting to come down a bit, sleeves are getting bigger and hemlines are getting wider. But basically, you're looking at the Jane Austen, Bridgerton, Sanditon-looking costumes, which can range from very simple or very ornate," Russell says. And it's not just for the ladies, she says. Men can get as fancy as they like, as they did back in Lafayette's day. "e men's costumes for this era are over the top. We are talking crazy coats, high collars, knee britches and other details that make their outfits so fun." She hopes that patrons have fun dressing for the ball. "e Cameo Art House eatre is going Now, Russell is considered an expert in her field and loves sharing her passion with others, which is why she dreamed up the Grand Birthday Ball.

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