Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-23
FAsHIoNABLE DANCES OF 1851.


and the "Quadrills" are the dances named on
the bail cards OF the period. The last named
has led, however. a precarious existence 1t
was attempted at one OF the Patriarch'5 balls,
but the figures were not familiar, and the adm,-
'TaDle effort to give the chaperons and papas
Chance to vary the monotony of their wall
Hover existence failed. It was danced, how
ever, With more success at one or two very
elegant parties ana then laid on the shelf
untll the summer, when II Will be favorite
dance at watering places. The walZ-ta raise
trots fefaps-hOlds, as It has held for forty
years, the nrst place amongst the round dances.
Tne beautiful music OF Strauss, the truly grace
iul step and motion, are TO be accredited with
us nIst success at Vienna and for the hold 1t
mas mao on the world since. The various
steps OF the waltz family consist of the hop
waltz the glide waltz, the redowa waltz, aud
tne WaIz proper; all are beautiful There are,
Which are occasionally danced By people desir-
GUS OF notoriety at public balls which should
pe avoided. Amongst these are what Is called
the Boston Dip" the Racket" and the $50
ciety." These exaggerated forms OF the beau
THU waltz movement are not taught by the
Dest danc1ng-masteIs AS one or them well
remarks rem should such style Of danciag pre-:
have unanswerable arguments against It."
They are sensational, exaggerated: one might
easily use haIsher term. The dance or So
ciety should De easy, natural, modest, Qulet,
graceful. and those dancers who copy the ex-
cesses OF the Bal Mabille or indulge In thea RI
Cal poses are In favor neither In Europe nor 10
America. Punch caricatureS the pivotal"
dance In London, aud the Minstrels'' broadly
Initiate them here.
The galop is very fashionable. and exceed
element Of JOLLY without cosrssness; i1 is
"Palegro' OF the ball room: To the inspirtt-
Ing strains OF "Gambhnus," the galop has
and the up supern pryas bas OF this winer
1t combines much of that Viking force and
gerue which one admires In the dancing Of
Swedes, Danes and Russians. 1t is energetic
without being romping; 1t is quick and lively
without being rowdy. A handsome, tall, slen-
der young couple in the galop recall the grace
ful visions OF the Greek frieze; there is poetry
and romance 10 the sight The fair ATLANTA
skins DER the plain OF the ballroom with q
freshness which recalls the morning of the
world. The Redowa ls pretty and Fashionable
form OF the waltz. 1t Is composed OF step
known as the pas de basque, and was formerly
only danced to the wild Polish mazourka music,
but Is now adapted to the t'OiS temps. There
IN 1t, softened by the elegance OF a viennese
salon. Its step is technically Indicated as a
lete. gtlSSe, and coupe deSsOus. The feet are
however, never raised from the floor, and It
should be studied under master.
Inc Glide waltz is slight, frail exaggera-
uon upon the waltz proper, and should Oe but
very slightly exaggerated 1t, however. has met
with much favor, and is the best and original
form Of the now dtsused Boston Dip"
The Polka is never danced In ball room by
We'll bred people. 1t Is occasionally, with its
u,
parlor, after Christmas tree or Easter egg
party, by family circle well known to each
other, but II ouid be vulgar In public.
The German CoJillion, or to use its French
name, the "Cotillion," began In Vienna forty
years ago, and was for q time kept sacred to
the princes and the mobiles OF sixteen quarter
ings 1t Is now, as then. the aristocrat of tue
ball room. Every ball OF fashionable prestige
has ended With iJ this winter. Some hOstesses,
early In the winter, attempted to do without
it On account Of its disadvantages, which are,
nj ha trnn hi
ana secondly, the fact (Which should always
concern hOSteSs) that certain young ladies
who a. e left out OF the German" lose their dance
!or the evening; again, its great length. and
the dangers OF uncongenial partner hip; still
greater, the intolerable expense, now rendered
almost Inevitable, growing out Of the fact that
flowers, ribbons, and bits OF tinsel, arg now
made by certain OpulenJ hosteSses to consist OF
gold horseshoe and meuse and pig scarf pins,
silver and god bangles, gold pins and pencil
cases, fans and cordelieres. une lady at New
port gave two balls In the summer of 1879, at
which the fayors cost five thousand dollars
THIS IS, OF course, impossible to most enter
tanners; therefore 1t has been sometimes
omitted, But the advantages Of the favoriJe
dance are manifold, and 1t has prevailed at the
large balls, such as the Patliarchs the F.C.DC.,
and at the more fashionable private houses.
TO give German, the hostess Should send
out her invitations two weeks in advance. She
snould cover her parlor carpets with crash, or
II she has q parquet floor, tant mteuT; she
must have all the furniture removed, and place
camp stools around the room In phalanxes.
Ihe business OF choosing leader Is little less
enerouS than the choice OF q president or a
general. The leader must have habit of com.
mar O, nerve, ard be fertile In resources. On
his ability and his iDpartiality does the happi-
mes. OF his company depend Atthe large balls
gentlemen tie chairs together with their hand
kei chiefs for themselves and partners thus
puttG & In presumption claim which Is never
disI egarded. The German begins after supper,
ana Is danced from two To four hours. Its
variety OF ngures Is enormous, 81 being re-
The music should be 1uil. and for a large ball
German piano and violin are all that Is ne.
cessary. In the middle OF the German hot
Dou1llon Is served to the dancers. and second
supper awaits tht m when they are finished
Some OF the figures strive to recall that
graceful and beautiful mlnuet of the last CEN
Jury whose initial and terminating bows have
peen spoken Of by Burke as typlfying "tnat
submission, that dtgnitied Obedience" which
makes men fascinating AID women graceful.
Again. some figures have the wild grace OF the
''descampal1vo" OF Marie AntoinetIe. the Stately
''pavane' OF Queen Elizabeth. 1t is the con-
glomerate OF all ages; It is the apotheosis of the
One OF the prettiest OF figures Is that called
bouquets and Boutonnierea" A number of
these prepared flowers are placed on a table.
where the leader has arranged them. The first
couple perform q tour de uolse They then
separate. The gentleman takes bouquet, and
the lady bouIoRn1ere They now select new
partners, 10 whom they present the bouquet
and boutonniere. the lady attaching the
DoutOnnlere to the gentleman'S coat They
perform tour de CalSe with their new
partners, which Is repeated by all the couples
Otnef IaVors are flequeDtly substituted for
flowers, and at the grand Germans the leader
Dl1ngs IN an immense cushion With the gold and
silver JeWelry which has become so fashion,
able, and these take the places of the flowers.
Other and simpler favorS such as little bells
rosettes, miniature flags, stars, artificial out.
tern1eS, badges, saShes, bonbonS ETC., take the
place Of the fO0liShly expensive Jeweiry An
0lner pretty figure is called 1.-The Mirror
Inc 1Tst couple perform tour de ualSe The
gentleman seats the lady upon q Chair In the
center OF the room, and presents her with
small mirror. The leader then selects a gen
tleman from the circle and conducts him be-
nlnd her chair. The lady looks In the mirror
and II she declines the partner offered by turn
ing the mirror over or shaking her head the
leader continues to offer partners until the
!aoy accepts. The gentlemen refused RETURN
10 their seats, or select partners and join In the
"The Serpent" is also q favortte and very
gfaceiul ngure. The first couple waltz round
and the gentleman leaves his partner In the
corner OF the room, her face turned toward the
wall, al q then brings three or four ladies whom
ne places behind his own lady, leaving proper
osIance between them. He then chooses an
equai NUMBER OF gentlemen (himself tncluded),
WIN Wnom ne forms q loose chain, and then
!eads them rapidly In serpentine course be-
tween the ladies', until he reaches his partner
When he clasps his hands, and each gentleman