The Last Valois
Kings of France
King Henri III
King Henri III at Court Balls
The King liked to dance and his Protestant subjects thought this was the height of profligacy. (To put this is context, I remember just a few years ago, when one of the large Protestant affiliated universities in the USA finally permitted dances on campus !)
Remember there wasn't much to do at night: it was hard to read by candlelight and there was no TV !
The French word bal was used to describe any opportunity for dancing at court, it should not be confused with the modern word "ball" which conveys a special occasion and massive expense. As rule, there was dancing two nights a week at court. The images below are from special occasion parties for the marriage of the King's sister-in-law.
Costume balls:
Image Sources: