The morning times., 1896-11-01
NEW DANCES.
Festive Steps and Measures for the
Cav Season. u

| In fashionable society the dancing sea-
son has only just begun, and, so far, it
! is said not a dcbutantc ball Will be in
| auguratcd with cotillion unless, OF
| course, the happy girls parents are very
rich. and can. according TO the Newport
! mode. make of the dance a veritablc pa
! gcant.
| The favors must he introduced in some
novel fashion. and now that bringing them
in IN sedan chair, is pronounced old
timcy, most adorable beribboncd hay
makers cart is drawn into the ballroom
by tiny shetland pony. The small animal
| wears Il harness, all over silver bells and
roscttes, is lead by tie partners who head
| the german. and who are provided with
| ivOry-handlcd pitchforkS. These are used
| to pluck forth and distribute the countless
| charming favorS,' from amid the fresh
| yellow straw, with which the wagon is
heaped
The hay-cart project has so far met
with tremendous success, but of course
all this is mighty expensive, and the only
favors to he had at the majority of
dances are the pretty ball cards. These
have taken on manifold curious and anus
really carefully Illuminated parchm ent
scrolls wound about ivory sticks and tied
up with lunches Of ribbons, or more
| quantity still, fat little aluminium pigs,
from undc. the sides Of whose bodies pull
out long paper tanes, like dressm;tker's $
| yard measure.
| Along this the dances are registered,
| with "A space opposite each for Names and
| white tape disappears once more. An
| other device is a lengthy scroll, which
| pulls out Of II little round miniature
topped box Of gilt, fun of fragrant com
fits.
But on tapes and scrolls the list of CAV
measures shows many new and inter-
esting dances that society is not trying
for the first time. but which are approved
selections. brought home from Summer re-
Sorts, where ii is the custom first to
put on novelty and test its chances OF
succeeding later in the city A good many
of these are really familiar dances re-
vanped and old-time ways of footing it
recalled. LII BerIiner, for example, is
gay and graceful mazuurka and moth
ing more. II must he carried out with
great spirit, bending the body consider
ably and moving o-rapid music. lie pas
de quatre is the new name for our Well
loved waltz with revising, set to music
as stately as the minuet almost The
couples circle about very slowly, taking
exec cptionally long steps. and turning
around the room to describe a lengthy
figure 8.
Without, however. changing its name, the
lanccrs has become the gayest and most
popular measure of the season. Three or
four sets, standing up to it, fill a ballroom
not only waving with draperies, but shrill
whistle calls that give one really the im-
preston of genuine lancers on parade.
This is because every couple carries q
tall bamhoo pole, about as large around as
a broomstick, and bearing on its top a
forked pennant of gayiy colored silk, or
half a dozen variegated streamers of rib
bon both broad and narrow In addition
to this martial top the young man who,
with a young woman, takes the position
ofleadngcouple, wears about his shoulders
by a ribbon, a silver drill masters whistle
When the music strikes up the whistle must
be blown, lances are lifted and the couples
go back and forth.
at every change of figure the whistle
must be blown again, and in every alter
young women alone or by the young men.
When finally every figure has been faith
fully gone through with and each set is
ready to break up the lances are lifted, all
the dancers fall into line and, two by two,
march about the ballroom to double quick
time. The lances of course fall to the share