When it comes to a changing of the guard, change naturally is ever-present. Some changes are for the better; some are snafus to learn from en route to growth. Such was the case with the 2024 Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Presentation Ball at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Saturday, February 10.
With veteran presentation producer Jan Strimple having bowed out after the 2023 DSOL fundraiser, the new regime handpicked by The Strimp had taken over. Along with Jan’s retirement, Planet Production also took its leave from the annual event. It seemed like a gracious time to head off into the sunset.
The transition looked promising and even showed signs from the get-go of taking this year’s presentation of young women in white designer gowns to new heights.
Before the first guests arrived in the Meyerson lobby that was filled with deb portraits by James French, DSOL President Nancy Labadie and Presentation Ball Chair Kristin Cordiak looked pleased, as the timeline was being followed to perfection. (Nancy, by the way, was wearing the same gown she’d worn when she was Presentation Ball Chair, back in 2016.)
Even the rehearsals had not only gone smoothly, but had finished half an hour early! And, it was a stellar gathering of 44 debs.
Such local well-known names as Fords, Hallams, Hunts and Sands were in the mix, along with new and up-and-coming families. It wasn’t even much of a problem when the father of deb Mia Blanton came down with a 102-degree temperature just hours before the presentation. As Mia’s uncle Billy Esping recalled, he was on the couch watching a golf tournament when his sister called to report Darren Blanton‘s being down for the count and hoping Billy could sub in.
A quick trip to the tuxedo rental store and a shower, and Billy was there in white tie and tails. No rehearsal required. After all, he’d already walked the walk the previous year as a deb dad when his daughter Charlotte Esping bowed on the Meyerson stage.
Additional deb vets were Laura and Jason Downing, who had already graduated two daughters, Caroline Downing (2017) and Katherine Downing (2022), and were finishing their run this year with baby daughter Kennedy Downing.
New on the deb scene was Kelli O. and Jerry Ford‘s daughter Electra Ford, with little sister Kelli Ford looking on. On hand to walk down the stairs with Electra would be her tall, handsome brother Jordan Ford.
And, leave it to the Fords to be surrounded by such family and friends as Amy and Corey Prestidge, Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich, Jeanne Whitman Bobbitt and Nancy Rogers (in Valentino).
After the last group photos were taken of the debs and the Honor Guard escorts, the group adjourned backstage to relax before their big moments and last minute adjustments.
As the guests arriving for the cocktail-reception in the lower level grew, the dimming of lights soon replaced the ringing of the Meyerson chimes, signaling it was time for the herd of black-tie types, like Honorary Ball Co-Chairs Margaret and Barry Hancock, to climb the marble staircases to McDermott Concert Hall for the Presentation.
Unlike in previous years, ushers were not handing out programs as guests entered the Concert Hall, for whatever reason. Instead, some programs were sitting in the back of the hall untouched in open cardboard boxes.
When a few guests spied the boxes they rushed the ushers, frantically asking, “Can I get six?” “Can you give us four?” “I need eight!” Finally, after fielding a barrage of such requests, one usher begged for relief and ‘fessed up: “We have a limited number of programs!”
As Margaret and Barry (they were matched up at the Presentation Ball in 1988) and Janie and David Condon took their places in the Hall, perennial emcee Stan Gardner got the program going with welcomes by Nancy and Kristin, who recognized the committee members on stage. With that Stan returned to the podium to introduce the Assembly and Honor Guard officers.
Then it was time for the main event: the presentation of each deb, which included walking down the stairs with a small floral bouquet in her right hand and her father/uncle/family friend offering his arm to her left. At the base of the stairs, the gentleman was to salute the deb with a kiss on the cheek or forehead before taking his place not far from Stan. It was then that the deb was to step forward, raise her arms and execute the Texas Dip before leaving the stage, and the hall, with her Honor Guard.
Now, the Texas Dip is a legend in the debutante world. While some might snicker, wondering, “What’s the big deal?”, anyone who asks that obviously hasn’t tried to execute the bow that would challenge even a yoga contortionist.
It was at this point in the evening that a few more hiccups began appearing. Some senior escorts weren’t quite sure where to put their arms to escort their debs down the stairs, for example. One senior escort left his deb, then walked past his “mark” and ended up standing by himself nearly off-stage. And, a few dipping debs resembled nothing so much as wobbly Airbus A380s trying to land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in a stiff wind.
Despite all that, everything finished up on cue, with all 44 debs and Honor Guard escorts standing proudly on stage.
Then, though, the wheels came off the evening completely. The main problem had been seen before: a chaotic transition of the deb parade from McDermott Hall back down the marble stairs to the dance floor out in the main lobby for the evening’s traditional first dance.
Instead of horns steadily trumpeting the procession of debs with their Honor Guard escorts, to begin with, there was a “sporadic blow out” of trumpeting, with some lucky couples heralded grandly, while others lagged behind in fits and starts and were basically ignored.
Then, like London Bobbies directing traffic, two committee members split off the Honor Guard escorts to the sidelines, while the debs were directed to the dance floor in search of their fathers and families, who had preceded them and filled up three sides of the dance space, leaving a huge empty area in front of the stage.
As the debs in their white billowing gowns materialized one by one, the problem was reminiscent of the Titanic approaching the iceberg. Only this time it was like beautiful swans dead-heading to a magnetic iceberg of a dance floor perimeter three deep in well wishers.
The upshot was debs and families stacked nearly on top of each other like sardines, especially at the entry. Had the parents only been directed to strategic positions around the dance floor, including in the area in front of the stage, it might have relieved the rush-hour traffic jam of 44 debs, their fathers and the many well-wishers (who were not to be denied!).
Adding to all this, the onstage band seemed to be out of sync with such a formal occasion.
After the final deb arrived to the arms of her family, the debs and their senior escorts took to the dance floor. Now the once empty dance floor was jammed with couples smiling and somehow managing to do underarm turns. It was a rare sight to see a couple trying to execute a dip.
Given the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League’s goal of raising funds for the Dallas Symphony, the DSOL seems to have arrived at a turning point. So, a couple of questions have to be asked:
If the fundraiser’s finale is to avoid becoming a mosh pit full of debs in billowing gowns and slightly confused white-tailed gents, should the organizers consider decreasing the quantity of debs, increasing the exclusivity factor while ensuring a smoother-running presentation from start to finish? Along with that, might it be time to impose a higher fee for the evening of bowing, dancing and networking?
It’s a hard call to make, but in the long run it could turn out to be best for all concerned. Just a thought.
For looks of the night, the debutantes, the Honor Guards and the guests, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.