The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-05
THE GERMAN.
SOME OF THE LATEST AND PRRTTIRsT
FIGURES.

SOME OF THE LATEST AND PRRTTIRsT
FIGURES.
This being the gay season, we present
for the benefit of the young folks some
OF the newest and prettiest figures out
for that delightful dance, the German ~
PAPER HOOPS.
The gentlemen form a circle, turning
their backs to q lady, who is placed in
their centre, and breaks the hoop upon
the head of the gentleman with whom
she would dance.
THE CoREET BOUQUET.
The cornet bouquet is attached to q
cornet, and is composed of several little
punches of flowers. The leader puts his
mouth to the instrument and sings some
popular air, and when he has finished
singing n gentleman rises and detaches
one of the little bouquets, which he gives
to lady she Immediately opens the |
paper which is wrapped around the stock,
and which always contains some comical
head-dress, with which she adorns her
partners head, after having fastened the
bouquet of flowers to her bodice.
ARCADEs.
AL the couples waltz for short time,
then join hands, raising the arms as much |
as possible, so as TO form a sort of arch. |
The end couple then separate and waltz |
reach the end OF the line, and joining |
hands to form another arch. This figure |
is very animated, and very graceful when |
rapidly executed. The leader gives the |
signal for each couple to commence by |
tapping his foot on the ground.
CRACKERS.
These sweetmeats are so called be- |
cause, when they are pulled asunder, |
they make slight report. One end con- |
tains a nlghtcap made of paper, which |
has droll effect when placed upon a gen |
tleman's head, and in the other end is |
tiny bouquet. or course the cap is in |
tended for the gentleman and the bouquet |
for the lady. The lady offers the cracker |
to the gentleman.
GOLDEN BALLS.
The leader takes five gentlemen and |
places them in the middle of the ball !
room. He afterwards presents a gilt ball |
made of india-rubber to his partner. |
This she throws in the air, and dances |
with the gentleman who Is successful in !
catching it on the rebound. :
THE TAME BIRD.
A bird in a little swinging perch is |
given TO lady who presents herself to a |
gentleman if she likes him she gives the |
perch little shake and the bird jumps |
on to his finger, and, if she does not wish |
to dance, she quickly makes the bird re- |
turn to his perch.
SURPRISE ORANGES.
The leader distributes, out of basket,
cardboard boxes formed like oranges, |
and each containing some trlfe. The |
partner presents to all the dancers little |
folded papers, on which are written the |
names of the objects which fill the or |
ange. Each gentleman presents himself |
to lady, who gives him her orange, and |
she waltzes with him If the paper b ears
the name OF the "surprise" contained in |
the card board fruit; if he does not, he |
goes to another lady, and so on until he |
finds the object ofhis search.
THE ENCHANTED BASKET.
At the extremity of a jointed pieco of |
upon which children put wooden SOL |
diers, is fixed basket Ornamented with |
ribbons and flowers, and which contains |
some trifing object of SURPRISE" The !
basket opens when the the Y is drawn |
out. and shuts when IL Is compressed. |
Each lady Is presented With a different |
toy. She goes to q gentleman and tempts |
him TO take the object contained in the |
basket, which she offers him open. If |
the temptress does not really intend TO |
dance with the gentleman whom she adj |
dresses, she quickly congresses the X,
ana the basket CLOSES.
THE BASKET OF VEGETABLES.
An immense basket filed with vegeta- |
bles cut out of cardboard and made to |
represent leeks. carrots, potatoes, etc.,
Is placed in the center of the room, and |
similar vegetables OF the same kind are |
given to the ladies, who pin them as their |
men are supplied with large cardboard |
forks covered with silver paper. This |
they plunge into the basket, and with |
them they hook out some vegetables. |
Each dancer then seeks the lady who |
wears the corresponding vegetable, and |
he waltzes with her holding the fork in
HIS hand.
sALUTATIoNs.
This is a general figure. The leader
rises and bows to his partner, who rises
also. They then turn round together.
and the lady bows TO n gentleman, who
rises, when they all turn round. By this
means every fresh salutatiOn from lady |
or gentleman increases the line. When |
this is over the loader taps his foot upon |
the ground; everybody once turns round, |
and each lady waltzes with the gen tleman |
opposite to her.
THE CRoZIER.
A gentleman stands in the middle of |
the room, holding a croZier, formed OF
ribbons of different colors, which are
held by six dancers. The leader then
takes six ladies, who form circle around |
the six cavaliers, who turn very quickly
In one direction, while the ladies turn in
another. At a given signal they stop,
and each gentleman dances with the lady
opposite TO him, still holding the ribbon
and waltzing around the crozier. The
same figure is repeated, the ladies hold
ing the ribbons.
THE ToURNIoUET.
This figure is composed OF four cou-
pies. Each gentleman gives his left arm
to his partner, and. crossing hands, they
commence to turn around. Upon a sig
nal from the leader the ladies' change |
partners and take the arms of the gentle |
men opposite to them, the couples who |
were previously Waiting slowly round |
and the others waltzing In their turn. |
This figure is executed four times, that |
is, until each dancer has regained his |
original partner.
sN0wBALLs.
This is generally one of the last figures,
because it covers the carpet with pieces |
of paper. The snowballs are made of |
paper. cut into very small pieces and /
pressed tightly into an envelope of tissue |
paper. The leader presents a ball to each |
lady, who tears the wrapper and throws |
the conte nts at the gentleman she chooses |
for her partner.
sALUTING THE HOST AND HOSTESS.
The cotIllon lie generally terminated by |
a general figure, formed in couples, who /
in turn salute the host and hostess. who 1
are seated In arm-chairs in the center |
of 10 hallrO0m