The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-04-27
LEADING A COTILLON.
Some New and Pleasing Figures of Pop
ular Dance.


Some New and Pleasing Figures of Pop
ular Dance.
1t is the famous but frivolous Nine.
de Montespan we have TO thank for our
enormously named german. While rid
ing one day on the outskirts of Paris
she saw crowd of country people cele-
brating fete with many quaint dances.
Impressed by the originality of some of
them, on her return to court she pro-
ceeded to teach some of her ladies. The
romping nature of the games pleased
the gay women, and as Louis XIV look
ed with favor on any innovation suggest
ed by his favorite his courtiers were
not long in expressing their admiration.
There was only one drawback. The
court gowns with their long burden
some trains retarded the sport of the
dance, SC Mme. de Montespan calmly
detached her train from her cotillon
or petticoat 1t is from this incident
the dance received its name.
For drawing room of ordinary size
not more than % couples should dance
the cotillon. at the end of the room
have two tables to place the favors upon.
For the forbidden fruit" figure have
good sized hoop hung about 6L feet
from the floor. To this different favors
may be tied; for the fool figure,
wastebasket and eight good sized rub
Der balls For the "two-in- hand
eight pairs of children's horse reins are
necessary A sheet for Over the Gar
den Wall" and eight scarfs of gauze
for the scarf figure complete the prop
critics. For the ordinary favor figures,
naturally any amount of favors may be
supplied
After the "a couples are seated around
the sides of the room, the leader will
bid the first eight couples dance waltz.
At his signal each couple separate, each
lady taking a favor for gentleman,
and presenting it to the one she desires
for a partner. The men do likewise.
It is generally best to open with ia
vor figure.
The scarf figure is danced by eight
couples. Eight scarfs are given to as
many men, who present them to the Ia
| dies they wish to dance with. After
waltz, the leader has the women form
circle, with circle of men on the out
side, with the scarfs serving as links,
each circle rotating in an opposite direc-
| ton. At the leader signal both circles
stop, each man throwing his scarf over
the woman in front of him, securing her
as a partner for the two step which fol-
| lows. The men face the women the
distance of the scarf, which is held high
above their heads. Each couple in turn
| goes under the seven remaining scarfs.
This is followed by waltz.
The sheet figure is danced by eight
couples A large sized sheet is held by
| the leader and some other man, taken
| from the eight couples. The eight
women go on one side of the sheet and
put the tips of the fingers of one hand
above the top of the sheet, which are
| hastily secured by the seven men on the
opposite side. The sheet is then with
| drawn, and each man dances with the
| lady he has secured. The remaining
| lady dances with the man who has held
| the sheet.
It is we'll to have another favor fig
ure between this and the following fig
ure, which is called the fool figure.
| Eight couples are needed to dance this.
| At one end of the room wastebasket
| is placed At the other eight men stand
! in front of seven ladies. The eighth lady
! sits in a chair with fool 8 cap in her
ut' AICI, at 10y
! to put the rubber ball they have been
| provided with into the wastebasket,
| then rush back and secure a partner
| from among the ladies. The mar who
fails to do this has the fool s cap placed
| upon his head and dances with the lady
In the chair.
The two-in-hand" is danced by four
couples, who separate. each lady Sc
curing two gentlemen, whom she har-
nesses with her reins. Each Of the orig
inal men does the same, the lady taking
| a gentleman from one of her pair-and
| the men lady as a partner for the two
| step which finishes the figure. Then
comes another favor figure. The for
hidden fruit is danced by eight men,
who have to jump for the favors hung
on the hoop and then give them to s.
| partner foI waltz.
Favors afford an extensive range of
choice-for the men, boutonnieres. pen
ellis, umbrella clasps, penholders, cigar
cutters, ETC., and for the women, fails
flowers. bonbons, pins-in fact, any
thing may be given-while On inexpen
sive cotillon may be given by supplying
japanese favors of all sorts.
MAUD JAMES CHELTON.