The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-14
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN GIRL
DANCERS.

V~ictoria's ~Crown-The Booking Bio elk
1.-THE fashions in dancing are forever
changing, and not always for the better" "
a veteran professor OF the art said TO me
not long ago. Although he teaches all the
new dances to his classes he cannot be-
come reconciled to the fact that society
demands and must have new dances each
season just as much as it must have new
dresses and new hats.
English women move stiffly and slowly,
and they look so solemn withal, that, as
some ore remarks about them, IF the
music could be hushed and the face ONLY.
of the dancer visible, it would seem as lB
she were arranging some new custom att
funeral and had assumed her best tuneral
manners"
The American girl keeps time with the
music and seems always rather to gildie,
while the English girl never gets beyonda
trot. In Germany and France they are
not at all progressive regarding tnelr
dances; they lance now just as they dlu
forty years ago. In their square dances
only one couple move at a time. 1t Is first
lady and opposite gentleman, forward n
back, cross over, and SO on through all the
evolutions, the rest of he's set waiting LOT
their turn. In this country the whole SET
dances at once, as a rule.
Thirty or forty years ago q lady danced
well or ill according to the number OF
steps-difficult steps, too-that she could
take in a figure. Then the steps were
dropped. and everybody walked through
the figures. Now people are introducing
steps again, d whole set taking the same
ones, and they all move together III the
same direction.
The 'sMinuet de la Cour," which origl-
mated in the time of Louis XIV, and
which was a favorite with his august
Majesty, has been very generally danced
ut gay assemblages this summer rms
minuet is one continuous movement from
beginning to end OF the great art OF bend
ing and rising properly, and is very
graceful and elegant, as there is every
opportunity to display
The sweeping courtesy, courtly bow,
AS they move in measured pace.
For children's fancy dress parties,
where time car be given for preparation,
the 'Fascination'' and Scarf" dances are
particularly attractive. The latter is
usually performed by n little girl, sup
ported by a number of others, each par
ticipant holding a gayly colored scarf.
This dane may be executed by one child
alone, without the others; in either case
the movements are almost the same.
When performed by a number, the en-'
semble enter first, an equal number from
each side describing a complete circle
d0OuD liz III NJ ShAp
ment they form oblique lines. In this
position several pretty posings are intro
duced.
The "all nationsn figure is good and
takes much careful preparation. The
ladies wear the national head-dresses and
the gentlemen carry the national flag or
the several countries. Those who take
part in the dance after the distribution OF
the flags and head-dresses, dance accord
ing to their nationality together, begin
ming with the chain figure of the lancers
and then breaking off into a waltz.
The ''candlen figure, a very amusing
device, is formed after this fashion:-The
leader places a chair in the middle of the
room, and calling a young lady from the
first four, gives her a lighted candle.
She stands upon the chair n the two
gentlemen of the first four cone for
ward. She holds the candle at any
height she may choose and the gentle
out. The one who succeeds in doing so
becomes her partner for the next waltz.
In this figure of course the lady has
every opportunity to favor the gentleman
she likes. A very tall man may be pre-
scented to her, n ii she does not choose
him she may hold the cendle so high that
ever he may not be able to reach it to
| blow out the blaze. On the other hand
| if he is q short man whom she favorS, she
may hold it down go low that he may be
able to do SO. All determinations or this
kind are accepted in the utmost good
nature.
When this figure has been performed
by the four q whistle is sounded and the
next four try it, and so on, until every
lady has stood upon the hair and every
| gentleman has taken his turn at jumping.
| After that the whistle is again sounded,
and those who nave found their partners
in this curious fashion waltz for a few
| moments.
For the autumn a pretty and appro-
pirate figure-the ''walnut" ~fgure-will
be introduced. Large gold n silver
walnuts are distributed among the COM
panv. The lady selects her partner by
placing her gold trophy beside the gentle
of the figure, lays both in the lap of some
lady with whom he desires to dance.
A figure which is always interesting is
| called 1.-THE Shade" In this a white cur
tain is stretched across part of the room,
| the lights are turned down and a lamp or
candle is placed upon a table a little way
back of the curtain, so that their protiles
are cast in shadow upon it, and the gen.
! tlemen approach upon theo other side and
pick put their partners according to the
shade.
The tulip" is a rendering Of the old
mirror figure. A glass is set III the CEN
ire OF a fan surrounded by tulips-or
| any flower can be used-and the figure
named accordingly. The gentlemen
come up in turn to admire it over the
| lady's shoulder, and, as she sees their
| reflection, she either wipes them out or
chooses to dance with one.