Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-22
The Dances Of Fathers.

When Washington the conferred with
Rochambeau at Newport in 1871, there
was ball given by the French officers
at Mrs. Crowley's assembly rooms in
Church street, which is spoken of in u
letter in the New York Evening Post,
which says: To Washington the honor
of opening the ball was given, and when
he led out his beautiful partner, Roch-
ambeau and his suite took the instru-
ments from the musicians and played
the air ga Successful Campaign" How
brilliant the scene must have been,
The commanding form of Washington
in his Continental uniform; al his side
the lovely girl whose beauty was noted
by DIR. Segur; Rochambeau, wearing
the Grand Croix de la Ordre Royal.
with Chastellux, the historian, De
stouches and many Others-the notable
men OF the French army and navy
who found it hard to leave their part
ners when the hour of parting came. l
have given the name of the dance, "a
Successful Campaign" selected by
WashingtOn's partner at the openingor
the ball. Recently l have found In
package of old papers-invitstions To
dinner, card parties and other enter
tainments-a list, in round, girlish
hand, of the dances then common, and
the arrangement of the figures. These
dances were .'Flowers of Edinburgh"
pea Straw" .'BOstOn's Delight"
"Haymaking," college Hornpipe,"
"Faithful Shepherd, =" "Love and OPP
portunity," 3" Lady Hancock" "Inno-
cent Maid, y "Merry and Wise, +" "Stony
Point" ''Miss McDonald's Reel" "a
Trip to Carlisle" /" "Freemason's Jig"
"Soldiers joy" and "I'll be Married In
My Old Clothes" with many others, TO
the number in all of 50. There Is no
mention of the minuet, but we have the
figure of each of the others. To dance
"a Successful Campaign" ''lesd down
two couples of the outside and up the
middle, second couple do the same, turn
contrary partners, cast of, right hand
and left" "Stony Point" was a fayOrite
danee-made so, probably by the sue
eessful storming of the place by Gen
Wayne. To dance it ''first couple three
hands round with the second lady, ale
mand; three hands around with the
second gentlemen, allemand again; lead
down two couples, up again east off one
couple, hand round with third, right
hand left" In dancing ''Meriek's
Graces" the first couple crossed over
to the second couple and back again,
the gentlemen passing between the
ladies and the ladies passing between
the gentlemen then they were expected
to set the corners, each give the right
hand to partners, turn half-rOund and
close with hands right and left. When
it came to ''LOrG Eath's Gate" they
were expected 10 ''cross hands four,
back again, cast off one couple, allemand
lead down In the middle, up again, and
foot it, lead through the top, cast Off
and foot it." What the term "foot it,
means j am not able to say. but it fire.
quently appears in the Instructions for
these dances. We find il again in ''The
Spaniard;" the first gentleman is to
''foot it to the second lady, and both
turn single; the first gentleman turns
his partner, the second the same, down
in the middle, up again, east off and
hands around" In the figure of the
'InnOceut Maid" there is another de-
tail which it would now be difficult To
explain: "First three couples haze,
then lead down in the middle and back
again; close with right hand and left"
In dancing the "CorsinO" three couples
were expected to foot it and change
sides, three couples allemand and tie
first fall in the middle, then right hand
and left.