International Debutante Ball - Format

Format

The International Debutante Ball is held biennially, with the most recent ball having occurred in December 2012. Each ball is preceded by a number of events and parties for the debutantes, including the Bachelor's Brunch, in private Manhattan members-only clubs such as the Colony Club, 21 Club or the University Club of New York. At the ball itself, each debutante is escorted by two men: one United States Military Academy cadet and one American civilian. According to New York Magazine, the current organizer of the International Debutante Ball stated that "Every young lady should have two men."

Each debutante represents her state or country at The International Debutante Ball and a song, e.g. a national anthem or a song associated with the country where the debutante is from, is played by the orchestra for the debutante when she is presented on stage. The military escort of the debutante also carries the flag of the country or US state where the debutante comes from. Each debutante must also greet a thousand or more guests individually in the receiving line. Due to the fact that there are debutantes representing their own US state or country, the International Debutante Ball has been dubbed by publications as 'The United Nations of Debutante Balls'. The debutantes include European aristocrats and royalty, and scions of American families from the Social Register.