What was a ball from Pride and Prejudice really like?

The BBC has recreated an authentic version of the Netherfield ball from Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

The first dance at the ball was a cotillion, a patterned social dance that originated in France.

Amanda Vickery, professor of early modern history at Queen Mary, University of London and John Mullan, professor of English at University College, London discuss why these dances would have been extremely intricate and complex to learn.

Find out more in Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball on Friday 10 May at 21:00 BST on BBC Two. Or catch up later on BBC iPlayer.

  • Section
    News
  • Published