The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-23

''ci y ~ -""o anc Virginia, o"o may 10 Coui-
PEELED to enforce them as her shield. But
enough for to-day.
Do You Polkl
That is the question now, which follows the
Introduction Of bearded beaux to gentle belle in
the saloons of fashion -and according to the
eager answer or reluctant denial does the as
pirant rise or fall in fashionable estimation The
" poetry of motion" the slow gliding step of the
quadrle, and the May windings of the waltz
both yield the palm-ay, and the waist--tc
the ruthless grasp of the afiactionate polka.
Polka now may be apostrophised in the Ian.
guage which that passee gentleman, BYRON, ap-
piled to waltz on its frat introduction
Seductive Polk! to Thy more melting tune,
Bow ancient jig and Irish rigadoon-
and now nightly may the bellies and beauxs be
seen hopping frantically up and down in pairs,
like agile canary birds in their cages, or peas
npon hot shovel. Talk of hard trotting horses
to cure dyspepsia why the exercise is not COM
parable to that taken on surface not larger
than the area of horses circle in mill, In the
course Of an evening by aspiring bellies and per
spring beaux, gyrating and revolving, tall
and short, fat and lean, heavy and risky, old
and young, with race-horse rapidity over the
narrow space, until the room seems filled with
Siamese twins Of different sexes, afflicted with
St. Vitus' dance.
Objections were originally made to the waltz
by BYRok, MOORE, and other such severe NOR
alists, on the score of the propinquity of the
performers-they regarded it as too touching
and accordingly peltod it most pitilessly with
poetic maledictions. But the mesmcric attrac.
tons ofthe dance proved too potent for poetry
or even for preaching, the pulpit also having
Illuminated Intellectually against it--and other
steps have been taken, until it is impossible to
carry innovation much farther The waltz is
danced (by good watzers) on Independent prin-
ciples by each party, with the exception of the
support given the lady. The polka establishes
a duality between the dancers-who are drawn
closer together by the rapid evolutions and
changes which accompany its progress from
'lively to severe-from the sweep of the gale
to the arrowy rush of the tempest, as the mirth
and music grow fast and furious"
And now there comes from Bavaria, to avenge
upon the Polka the slight offered the discarded
WaLz-a new rival for the throne of fashion
erected, not like Tamerane's, on skulls, but on
foss-The Schotische. Our own powers of de-
scEption are utterly inadequate to do justice to
this variation Of the dances Of propinquity Gas they
may be termed) and we therefore draw upon the
descriptive powers of New York correspon.
dent Of a Western paper, who has seen that ele-
plant, and had it to tread on his toe. We also
have seen the performance, and can testify to
the accuracy of the description:
Before talking Of the bal, must ask you-do
you dance? Do you ever induIge in the "Bara
rian Schofischei" Melodous title, isn't it! II
you don't know it let Mr. Xaupi vnccinate you
Immediately, and take it in the orthodox man.
ner picked it up in the Irregular way, and
may be considered in the nefarious light of O
Terpsichorean swindler. How | ever com.
menced, or when, does not reman in nv memory
but ] recollect at different times, performing
some most extraordinary acts Of inspired Iunacy
with very tall mysterious female in another
blue shrould, and voice like an infant fife
troubled with chronic bronchitis. This heard
people say afterwards was the Schotsche Per
haps it was, or if it wasn't, / havnt the most re-
mote conception Of what it was.
The style of Schotische is full of graceful 20
sitions, and has the combined beauties of the
ST. Vitus and Indinn war dances, with a strong
insinuation of the poetic action of an afflicted
cat upon hot building materials. The most
popular, elegant, and in fact the only acknow-
lodged fas hion of executing Schotiscbe is this
As the music leads of, plunge. suddenly for
wnrd with your partner, make four short jumps
with four abrupt jerks Of the hand to keep time,
then as suddenly dart back again with the same
jumps and jerks. Then st nd on one leg, as
much like lame duck as you can, Oh ,nge quick
y TO the other, and hop round four times Ir
this, you must take great care to lift up your
legs, as it, for instance, something heavy had
fallen on all your soft corns at one ii ne, or ms
If boiling cobblers wax had been inserted in
your boots The effect is very pleasant to look
upon Continue in this way anywhere about
the room, but be certain to whirl your partner
until you can see nothing distinctly, for you can
never arrive at the full enjoyment of Schotische
until you reach this crisis. You then run a
muck among the other Stockholders until you
experience shock, which will be caused BY
another pair Of teetoums, but never heed that
If you should by chance see another oupIe near
you, which, however, will very rarely happen,
never stop, or try TO get ont Of the way, as
that is direetl contrary to the science and ETH
quette Of Schotische but 60 on. and if lady IL
hoorcd elegant and expressive,) 1t is none OF
your business If you are large man, the
amusement is much greater, as then, instead OF
your being knocked down every time by the
conclusions, it is greatly in your favor, that the
other party may be knocked down instead
| Now, lest we should be set down among that
snas'ing fraction Of male bipeds who affect ar
owl-lke grnvity, and pretend to sneer at accom-
p'ishments which their heavy heads, or heavier