Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-04-28
NO.. II
A MAD PARTISAN FESTIVAL.

VlSltlng Gn0 bOulllCr IN farlS, ana
writes to the San Francisco Chronicle
describing what he saw. II is aston
ishing, but then-he writes we'll:
There is rush for the open space,
where only dancing is possible. There
is no director nor floor manager, no
methcd at all; every one looks out for
himself or herself, and somehow out of
the confusion a quadrille is formed in
one corner, ond then another and an
other, until thsre are dozen of them
we'll at work-or at play, which is it?
and by this time the first figure of the
set is over. Hhe spectators crowd close
about the dancers and are often
troublesome. This is the kingdom of
license aud you may say what you
please to any one, dance with whom
you choose, do what you like in truth
you are expected not to be stupid when
you come to the Boullier. AS the dance
progresses the interest increases, for
the dancers become heated, and it is
only at such times that the can-cen is
endurable. The shrill music chrashes
through the hveliest figure of the
quadrille; we work our way through
the crowd until We can stand on tip
toe and look over some ones shoulder.
Before us are two couples, very young
ones. but with strangely wise faces
worldly wise, I mean-and with
kind of devilish grace in their every
motion that facinates you. They ad
vance and recede with infinite swag
ger. They throw themselves suddenly
into attitudes that defy description; as
we'll attempt to picture in words the
writings of tigress. as she plays
Nth her young; the voluptuous posing.
the quiveri1g of the supple limbs. the
curving of the spine and the waving
to and fro of the head, snake-like and
full of cunning, the sly, soft crouching
that indicate a premediated spring.
Whoop la! There you have it. The
men-,they are mere bOys-dash their
gcnteel beavers on to the napes of
their Lecks, seize the skirts of their
coats, and go through series of gym
nastic feats as ludicrous as they are
ungracefuL. The women-they are
girls-switch up their skirts above the
knee and deliberately kick over the
heads of their partners. Not satisfied
with this display, one of them grasps
her ancle with one hand and raises
it above her head, where she waves
her dainty boot to and fro, keeping
time to the music, The other turns
e clumsy summersault and lands in
the centre of the open space, where she
rests with her two feet pointing north
and south, quite like a circus boy
when he spreads his legs sideways like
| O pair of compasses, and this is hailed
with delight by the spectators. There
is nothing after that, save repetition
of the same sort of ungraceful climax,
and even the dancers seem to grow
weary of it, for they seldom finish the
| last figure, but turn away and lose
themselves in the crowd. Every alter
nate dance is a can-can quadrille, be-
! tween which come waltzes, polkas, &c.
1t is in the waltz only that the dancers
display that daring that alone makes
| the Boullier attractive or even inter-
esting. Yet, three times a week, this
hall is filled from 9 p. m. to midnight;
the low gallery on three sides of it is
always crowded with spectators, who
sit at their tables with beer and cigars
and watch the dancers TO the end. You
will find every class of people at the
Boullier and the other dance halls of
Paris, where the reputation of the
dancers is dubious. English swells in
mouk- like ulsters someti mes have with
them a fair companion Qet us trust she
is fair), who is closely veiled, who
never for O moment quits his side, who
is evidently shy and out of place. and
is probably his bride. The American
is there, feeling quite at home and re-
fusing to be astonished at anything
Parisian; beautiful women lounge
about, beautiful women who respond
freely to the least signal in your eye.
and who lie in wait to catch just such
signals as are exchanged on every side.
"Esch Saturday night, from New
Year to Lent, there is a mask ball
that has special license to whirl itseli
clear over into Sunday. This is evi
J IDENTITY an advantage; how otherwise
would the revels wax hottest as the
, weeks meet and part? And why
should the best, or the worst, certain
ly the wickedest dances be reserved
until the gray dawn of the Lords day
has frozen out the spectators, who ar
r sure to hang about the entrance to tn
] enchanted palace with the hope o
q catching now and then a glimpse Q
II the festivities within? 1t is at mid
Q night that, in the midst of joyou
t music, a band of maskers dash into tn
s hall and add a double beauty to tn
Q scene. The old threadbare knight
and courties, pages, peasants, Roma
is Senators and hower-girls are there
Al but there are also girls whose aude
is cious costumes are at first lIttl
q startling. Their light chemises slid
from one fair shoulder and upon th
al bosom with exceeding grace. The
1T brief skirt seems scarcely y to dlsgul<
le the full outline of their figure; bl
le why should it? Follow them
g. the dance, and you will see ho
s. their perfect limbs, cased in tiae
u silk, are no longer trammel'
to with even SO slight a covering. WI
is 3. quick jestnre they sweep togeth
their h h,udful of gauze and ruft1es al
as rosy kuots ribbon, and dance III
av Greek slaves in au Elizabethlan ru
he How they waltz, these arttul cocottt
They lie in the arms of him VINO
is their support and suffer themselves
M be borne hither and tblther IN ki
I'd oi passionate revelry. Th tips Of th'
ne !oes alone twinkle along the foor. -
ers when at last the music has walled It's
he TO death, they 5woOu III the crowd Il
en closes around them aud lie for j.
Ak one moment at the mercy of the
ow earesJ and the most daring ey
t is s.Frou Frou" is there-the woman "
he the ruffied "r" in her name. She we
13r | tram or SOmDro sllh anu Jou'
lso hat, and yards of narrow lace knot
nd. at her neck, fall almost to the hem
7ed her garments. She is long slee'
to aud high necked, and in nowIse attr
tive to the sensual eye. But wait
in -he walks into the can'can as II
all. Was merely going to speak with
re- gentleman opposite; she doesn't e,
do that, but stops in the centre of
ele- admirers (for there are those
an know her of old). and without m
PHI ado raises her hand as high as nhe
lry, reach and then, still holding it rigi
be in its place, she touches the ps
lay of it with the tip of her boot, ag
aud again, so long as the music Is
die she repeats the desperate venture,
not fiuishes with flourish that is over
ent beyond words. There are those
ID a try this finale OF Frou Frou's and
Bis misersbly: they usually fall backw
sity and are picked up from the floor in
worst of humors; out Frou Frou is 81
q ia footed and never fails. The bacchai
and which is the crowning dance of
?. 20 onooponaniQ6 with the m