New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-03
" WOULD YOU SEE THEN DANCE TER
POLhA?"
REVERSING IN ENGLAND.


For those who have never seen the sight, let ma
make an cndedVor u describe what IL Is Ike. In tao
nrst place, be II known and understood thai your
English dancer of the polka, even when he goes tho
right way is but sorry exponent Of the poetry OF
notion with his right arm ne clutches at his part
ner at arms length, anywhere between the belt OF
her gown and the top OF Her shoulder blades, Hat
open palm. with fingers spread like the points Of
stasisn. being pressed against her spinal column
HIS left arm IS extended like the jb bonn Of south
coast lugger his partners chief suppsrt nom II con
sstnS ot tenacious grasp of the ball 0i MS thumb
His mead and shoulders. by spasmodic movements
closely resembling the contortons Of rusty onted
iumpingJack or penny harlequin, keep imaginary
time 10 the measure OF the dance. lie Stops well
forward with the pose Of wild bull on the eve Of
battle his knees are bent, and his feet ny upward
with the velocity OF an involuntary performer on =
runaway tread mlll, coming back to the moor N
series Of stih-legsed stamps by some sort OF in
seemingly much against her viii il facial expression
OF torture be any index Of assent. lon feel
though there ought 10 be- a with bell sent
on before them to clear the way.
Like ocean steamers in fog of the banks OF New
oundland the one having the greatest velocity Is the
least likely to be injured. imagine. say. iyeand-
smashing into each other throwing each other down,
elbowing each other crushing each other kicking each
other jumping each other but never attempting 10
get ont Of the way Of other except after grand
crash, and you may form sumo idea Of the polka in
But Why don't they reversed" you ask. Just
wait. They will in minnie DO not Imagine that
avoid vertigo. Dear me- no. Who ever heard Of such
thing' You reverse because IS the polka. that IS
beginning. As everybody else VIII do exactly tho
same his mode Of procedure viii apply TO the crowd
He stops short with suddenness thst SENDS ms
partners skirts out at an angle from her hyShy
exposed ankles, and gives her tNlst WHICH IN
nedaely wraps her draperies round his LEGS IKE me
bandages broken arm. with head oeht' tee,a
clenchcd, and shoulders bumped up, ne turns round
somehow III direction opposite to that III WHOA
he has just been revolving somehow MS partner
follows him. To all appearances, she Is mos.
reluctantly dragged follower How she keeps her
fet w rpey16n Of this Sort comprise the
In the polka and the man who is able TO accomplish II
is regarded with admiration and envy by his less
'' sAwfuy Jolly and such restl' SAID one young
Capital fun isn't it ~ was her gleefuly acquescent
can't make ont how you manage it, remarked
friend, whose eyes beamed with wonder; a"fuliy
Needs a lot of practice added his partner II
wish you'd teach me- .
And so II went on, until the two "reyersers' went
They gone just two minutes before they returned'
yet in that time they knocked down Two couples ,
one ball dress, pulled the bouquet. de coIsage on
another, and smashed fan into sagments Yet
"Awfully Jolly going the other way, don't YOU
thnk'' said the Young man, tying his cravat and
before he exucated himself from the melee. We
should have got awfully hustled If we hadn't tred
creed the yonRg Iady' tsins harpn from her
mouth between each word, and seemingly pushng thym
polka IN, q. av-ho.o &,
A. for the waltz il IL not much better II is not 80
bosterous PERHAPS but il lacks the advantage 0i te
reverse II advantage be claimed for the polka IN
having IT, which / am inclined to doubt aft'r the
Illustrations have Of the beauty oil gong the
other way Everybody waAes ID th2ahu-o..H a
,Sw Of tle stronger members OF society attempt mo
nolka | hardly know man or woman from c~hteen
IL eighty who does not waltz, ana VINO VIII not Wa1
AZ every ball and party they 90 to. some watt beiyei
fhan Others, and dignity their rOtatory movements Dy
,n occasional endeavOr 10 exhibit particular step
The maiosty, lOwever, cOmpaccntly 90 r0uri.' Hoy
nov 20 round they Themselves would eXperence dn-
mIiv I'm explaining Nor does it signify: They are onto
eS Tappy As though they kept time 70 TIE music or
step With theiE partners Nobody notices ana noD2dy
corps The main points for the man TO ke'D MS
"o r,urd the lady'S waist and for the lady D. Keep
richt hold 81 the mans hand. These are the ,"e
Cardnal point, Of the British waltz. These are al
Saltzing couple have t. do EXCEPT, OF course 20
rnrnd And such gong ROUND as II Is some f,'t.
rnn Glow utterly rcsartless OF the time the band IS
playing heads hobbing up and down, and arm, nynS'
IN thev keep from vertigo or apOplexy l. marvel.
And then the knocks and bruises. the scaplnSs ara
cra.chinrs the collisions and falls the toernss ard
-umbes. II is anything you Ike T. cal II. Dat u u
~ dancinc-ccrtainly not dancing as Americans are
accuCtorned 10 regard Il.