Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-21
Dancing on Skates.
AN ENGLISH DIyERsIoN-THE LIGHT FAN
TAsTIc WHEEL AT BRIGHTON.

Writing from Brighton on Dec. Il a
correspondent of the London DAILY Nelrs
says Skating on wheels, advancing by
leaps and bounds, like the commercial
prosperity of Great Britain under the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Gladstone, has now
reached stage Of perfection at which skat-
ing merges into dancing, and a skating party
becomes ball. Such an entertainment was
given here last night by some of the officers
of the Scot Greys, stationed at the Preston
barracks. Cards were issued for a dance,
the ballroom being the grand rink in West
street under the direction of Mr.. Mellison.
This is a splendid building formerly, | be-
lieye, a concert hall, and now admirably
adapted for the purposes to which it has been
devoted, having fine stretch of asphalte,
covered in by lofty and well-yentilated
roof Eight O'Clock was the hour men
toned for the ball to commence, and shortly
after that time the company began to as
semble. Morning-dress was of course, worn,
no roller-skate and no style of skating yet
having been invented which would make it
possible to cut the outside edge, cross, or 90
backward in the graceful but inconvenient
trailing skirt with which ordinary dancing
Is more or less successfully managed. But
nevertheless the scene was pretty and
animated one, with the many-colored
dresses, seasonably trimmed with fur, the
saucy Rubens hat, and here and there that
ghost of a long-dead past, the coal-scuttle
bonnet. About two hundred and fifty invita-
tions had been issued, and there were pre-
sent company not far short of that number.
There was perhaps something triie mono
tonous about the pretty little carfes de danse
supplied to each of the guest. Eighteen
dances were set down and each wasa waltz.
The iact IS that skating on wheels lends
itself naturally 10 the time and swing Of the
waltz, and may be successfully adapted to
other sor Is Of dancing only after a severe
course Of training such as could be under
taken by few except professional acrobats
A quadrille may be managed in a space that
will allow of considerable margin 1--WE had
the Caledonians just before midnight,) and
witha band skiliul at filing up interludes,
during which partners who have oyershot
the mark are struggling back to the square
but the general result is not satisfactory;
and the game is usually considered not worth
the candle. The motion of the skater and
the time observed are 50 nearly akin to
Waiting when the band plays the ''Brise des
Nuts" or Queen NAB" one naturally
lapses into the waltz. One consequence of
this is that when according to the programme,
and with very few exceptions, according to
the fact, everybody was Waiting, the scene
presented differed in an almost inappreciable
degree from the sight witnessed on ordinary
club nights. Here and there two ladies', or
a lady and gentleman broke into a waltz
proper moving round in due form and slid
ing through the steps Of tr0is temps but for
the most part the company contented them
selves with skating round the rink in Waiting
time, and swaying right ami LETT on the out
side edge to the waltz measure. To those
who looked on expecting novelty this was
somewhat disappointing, but to the COM
pany Of the skaters gliding across the smooth
floor in an endless band there were no spots
on the sun. They skated and danced with
energy that seemed inexhaustible, hating
only at II O'Clock for such brief time a.
supper demanded, and then setting-to again
at the interminable waltz, tn e endless band
growing thinner, but not finally breaking till
an early hour this morning.