KWDS 11

Altes Rathaus (City Hall)

Altes Rathaus, Hauptstraße 137

63897 Miltenberg

Germany

The Lord Baron and the Lady Baroness of the Ancient Barony of Knights Crossing in the Kingdom of Drachenwald hereby invite one and all to days of learning, music, feasting, and dancing at the 11th Known World Dance and Music Symposium. One of the Barony's holdings, the 14th century city hall of the picturesque city of Miltenberg am Main, shall once more see balls and revelry like it has not seen in hundreds of years – come and be part of the experience!

Update - March 29, 2015

A KWDS XI Information Guide is now available. The booklet contains material about lodging at the youth hostel, class descriptions and food menus. There is also a preliminary event and class schedule, though this is still subject to last minute changes. Download it here: http://tinyurl.com/qa6e5be 

Menus are now available on the Food page of this site.

6 feast places left on Saturday!
KWDS XI will be well attended but there are beds available on Thursday and Friday. Six feast slots on Saturday are still open. Register soon to insure that you get a place. 

MASQUE vs MASK - Tips and Ideas for Medieval and Renaissance Fancy Dress

Known World Symposium 2015 features a masque and grand ball. Contrary to common belief, however, “masque” and “masquerade” are not the same thing at all. A masque was a danced/narrated performance in which costumed dancers (maybe wearing masks, but not necessarily) performed some choreography that was relevant to an overarching story, message or theme. Some historians say that the masque gave rise to what would later become the opera, but in the 15th and early 16th centuries, the performers in the masques were generally amateurs, often high-ranking and potentially including among them the regnant prince.

Fifteenth-century masques generally framed a whole afternoon or evening of feasting and/or dancing. What we call a ball in modern parlance, but never seems to have been called such in the documents of the time, could have any number of themes from color-based to subject-specific. For instance, one masque designed by Leonardo da Vinci himself centered on the theme of the planets and the glory of the regime; he designed and had built a large-scale model of the solar system with planets that opened to reveal costumed singers as they rotated near the prince (and no, we do not have the budget of the Sforza court, so no, there will sadly be no large-scale planets floating about the dance floor…).

On April 18, 2015, The Known World Dance Symposium XI will end with a masque in combination with a costumed ball with the theme of lovers of legend and history. But how to make a Renaissance-style costume? ....

Read the entire illustrated paper by Countess Judith of Northumbria Download the PDF file here: http://tinyurl.com/k7doxjj 


HISTORIC MILTENBERG

One of our two KWDS Hall Stewards, Lady Alithia de Ainwik has put together an informational brochure about the historic sites and museums available in and around Miltenberg. There is much to see and do in this picturesque medieval city. A PDF version of this brochure is now available for download at http://tinyurl.com/ppufjaa. 


BALLS, REVELS, MASQUES AND MORE

In addition to full days of classes and the Masque Ball and Feast on Saturday, KWDS will feature other revels and balls starting on Wednesday evening. A full list of current ball and revel planning can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/pba2hfa. 

Questions or Comments About KWDS XI?
This site's FAQ page answers many common questions about the event. If you need to contact the event or registration stewards, you can send them an email from the Contact page. If you're on Facebook, join in on the KWDS XI conversation in the KWDS 2015 group.