The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-03
STEPS IN SOCIETY LIFE.
sOTHAM,s SWELL DANCING MASTER
TALKS or MS VOCAIIOM
The 400 RevoIve In the German and Pre-
nounce the Lancier- - Romp-The Minuse
Has Given Place TO the CotiIIou,

Nothing could be more polished than eef-
tain dancing academy in West Fiity-nfth
street. The glass doors nre like mirrors: the
| brass trim mi In Is are dazzling; the obscauious
darkies shine like oiled mahogany; when you
step on the slippery ballroom floor you In
stlnctively put your hand in your pocket to
ioel for your insurance policy; and as for the
Professor. he has the manners Of an amalga-
mated Chesterfield aud Turveydror.
IL is here. according to the Professor. that
tho youthful scions OF the great and only -Four
Hundred lightly foot It over the polished floor.
The Professor talks with beautiful frnnkness,
and was good as to explain to n sun ro-
porter how the dances Of the said Four
Hundred differ from those of the common.
awd'n'ry people"
Not the common people. either" the Pro-
fossor hastened to correct himself There
are no common people In this country. We
are oil the same here" Nevertheless he con-
tinued to refer to the common people," and
his tones were not always nattering. On tho
other hand he sort OF hobnobbed with royalty
by calling his SWEETEST pupils by their last
names minus their first ones. or by their first
ones minus their last ones. 1t was hard totell
which method i'm piled the greater intimacy.
Tho fashionable dance OF New York socie-
ty," said the Professor. and. OF course you
know that when speak OF society 1 mean
the really swell circles, the McAllister set as 10
is called the fashionable dance in that set 10
the german. OF course there is sometimes a
kind OF interregnum before the cotillon boz
gins. and during this period the orchestra
plays waltzcs and a sort OF request pro-
grammc. Different ones have favorito dances.
and this is their chance to get them played"
Do these real swell people ever dance
square dances Z"
The Professor cast a look OF mild scorn In
the reporters direction. II evidently Rreved
him that such dense ignorance existed even
am ong the common people
"Oh. no. mol" he said.
Not even The lanclers2" ventured the re-
porter. quite humbly.
'Oh. welll do mako an exception OF the
lanciers. l generally have ono lnnciors
among the dances which are given before the
cotillon begins. But then" with an airy
gesture. its not danced as 1t is by awdn'ry
people. We get sixteen couples on the floor
In one set and have regular romp!"
The recollection OF society land 1t will be re-
mcmbercd that the Professor was explicit in
telling what he meant by society engaged in
romr just like common. nwd'n'ry people.
though the Professor said not. did not seem to
disturb that gentleman's equilibrium. He
smiled a little. AS II the spectacle OF n real
swell romp had been just q triie AMUSING hut
1t was probably an old story to him. and he roe
turned to the discussion OF the cotilon.
Society" said the Professor. dances tho
cotillon. but not as awd'n'ry people dance il.
You know there are plenty Of people say in
Harlem though. to be sure there is very good
society in Harlem!-wh are not accustomed
to dancing the german. and when they attemrt
It theythink they must have something elabor-
ate and striking don't you know2 and newt
They are new themselves. and, perhaps, It 10
natural that they should DO on the lookout for
novelty elsewhere.
Those are tho people who go into an CO.
stasy over the description OF the bask ct figure.
They get thcir german figures out OF book.
to dance It,. A lot Of ladies ana gentlemen
dance around the room and then Join hands in
form sroana hSm Thsy er
Gle in opposite directions, and then the gentle
ladies' Joined hands. TRis brings aboat e sort
Of mutual brace. which is the most uncom:
and back hair tumblod, Now. you know. they
won't have that sort Of thing in society"
and dance with dunn IN es in society I"
The Professor evidently made a great effort
ceeded in keepinG a straight IL purple. counte-
nance. He intimated that such forms Of en-
Wooismen but socety. even society wien When
Tomped. sixteen couples strong. through the
d4ss not not sgSds
. might let tho chidren's classes try the
position pos; d figure; or football figure or a base
SSs5 p'SS st%.n That e.. the poSp
ali sorts OF e%trav"sant. elaborate dances.
Teal society wants n the simplest rEuTes
with The grand chain" agare.. First. Of
course. the couples are all seated and NUM-
of the first eight, COUPLES, olaps his hands as
signal. and of they go In walt. Then he
select new partners and there is another waltz.
Then they J3in hands and circle round there
taxes the nearest Tq partner and again they
waltz The simplest thing imaginable. see2
with pasTs or essn unss Or @
s ground the room with whip and ribbons Be-
require no accessories. II there are nifty
couples in the german, It will take two hours
any opportunity Tor great variety"
What dances are fashionable this year,"
and the. deux-temps. or. as 1t is popularity
called the two, step These are !he ones
The Professor then went on to state that tho
caprice, the Yorke, the military shottischs, and
been consig ed TO such remote spots as Kala-
mhzoo and to the common. awdnTy people
neither the glide nor the hop, but in smooth,
even fashion. keeping the feet on tho floor but
How about a Il the ' mlnuetf Is there any pros
poet OF its return 7"
not a shadow, said the Professor dooi-
minuet will not he popular again the cotillon
will continue to be the dance OF the fashiona:
Bile set. The mnuet was the court dance OF
the time OF Louis NV. and his successors
That was one Of the most profiigarc courts
that ever existed and YET 9ne of the most dig
nined And So they danced the minuet, which
is nothing hut stately walk, They wore such
stin stnmachers and were SO tightly girded up
that they couldn't do anything but walk or
make low and careful courtesy:
y" But the rOm'aOn people didn't dance the
minuet, They had their country dances. when
they lined NJ opposito each other and danced
iii they made the floor tTemhle. With them
VlRor passed. for grace And IL does yet tOa
certain extent with the lower classes. Tho co.
tlllon Is too dignitled for the common people
today, lqSt as The minuot IS too slow for the
fashionable set"
~ Who are the best leaders Of the coti!lon in
Alec MADDEN IL a good one. young Alex
hnder MADDEN. you know, lie doesn't Let lt
drag That's the main thing In a leader. Alec
steps In II things ara too slow, AMI pulls
them along. Young Webb is another good one.
CaIhart Of BROOKLYN is an other"
And don't they care 10 shine as the invent
oTs II new CURES p
The Professor meditated "A moment.
Saw. he said. " II you want tu Ind out that
. Al #.... 4. go. IIHIN