The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-01

In fashionable society the dancing
season has only just begun and, so far,
it is said not a debutante ball will be
inaugurated with the cotillion-unless,
of course, the happy girls parents are
very rich and can, according to the
Newport mode, make of the dance a
veritable pageant.
The favors must be introduced in
some novel fashion and now that
bringing them in in a sedan chair, is
pronounced old timey, most adorable
beribboned haymakers' cart is drawn
into the ball room, by tiny Shetland
pony The small animal wears a har-
ness, all over silver bells and rosettes.
is led by the partners who head the
german and who are provided with
ivory handled Ditchforks. These are
used to pluck forth and distribute the
countless charming favors, from amid
the fresh yellow straw with which the
wagon is heaDed.
NEW BALL CARDS.
The hay cart project has so far met
with tremendous success, but of course
all this is mighty expensive and the
only favors to be had at the majority
of dances are very pretty ball cards.
These have taken on manifold curious
and amusing forms. For instance, they
may be really carefully Illuminated
parchment scrolls, wound about ivory
sticks and tied uD with punches of
ribbons, or, more quantity STILL fat
little aluminium pigs, from the under
sides of whose bodies pull out long
paper tapes, like dressmaker's yard
measure.
Along this the dances are registered
oh, 20,
and then, by twisting the pigs tall
the long white tape disappears once
more. Another device is a lengthy
scroll which pulls out of little round
miniature topped box of gilt, full of
fragrant comfits.
NOVEL STEPS AND MEASURES.
But on the tapes and scrolls the list
of gay measures shows many new and
interesting dances, that society is not
trying for the first time, but which
are approved selections, brought home
from summer resorts, where it is the
custom first to put on a novelty and
test its chances of succeeding later in
the city. A good many of these are
really familiar dances revamped and
old-time ways of footing it recalled. La
Berliner for example is a gay and
graceful mazourka and nothing more
1t must be carried out with great spirit
bending the body considerably, and
moving to rapid music. La pas de
quatre is the new name for our we'll
loved waltz with revising, set to mu-
sic as stately as the minuet almost.
The couples circle about very slowly,
taking exceptionally long steps and
turning around the room to describe
lengthy figure eight.
LANCERS ON PARADE.
the lancers has become the gayest and
most popular measure of the season.
Three or four sets, standing 10 to it,
MI ballroom not only with waving
draperies, but shrill whistle calls that
give one really the impression of gen
ulne lancers on parade.
Thls is because every couple carries
a tall bamboo pole, about as large
around as broom stick, and bearing
on Its top a forked penpant of gaily
colored silk, or half a dozen veriegated
streamers Of ribbon, both broad and
narrow. In addition 10 this martial top
the young man, who, with a young
woman, takes the position of leading
couple, wears about his shoulders. by
a ribbon, silver drill masters whis-
tie. When the music strikes IN the
whistle must be blown, lances are lift
ed and the couple go back and forth.
AT every change of figure the whistle
must be blown again and in every al
ternate figure the lances are carried bv
the young women alone, or by the
young men. When finally every figure
has been faithfully gone through with
and each set is ready toObreak 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 of
the feminine dancers, who gladly carry
them Off as souvenirs at the end of the
entertainment
10 SUCH an extent has the vogue of
these new dances grown that the bail
card lists no longer show the long pop
ular York, and of all the polkas ONLY
the ungraceful but vigorous two-step;
then the lancers always in preference
to the Saratoga, while the Kentucky
Jubilee, Virginia reel and military
schottische have had gracefully to re-
tire before the all-compelling charms
of the jolly Irish reel. This is nothing
more nor less than a festive jig dance,
such as the sons and daughters of the
Ould Countree tread off lightly enough
on the green sod. 1t is used in our
American bathrooms at the end of an
evenings frolicking, and, when the
dandies and debutantes pair of, the
couples stand facing, with their hands
on their hips.
a Seml-clOg dance follows and at in
tervalS there is a merry hands all
around or six triumphal archWays.
until every couple has been once
caught in the ring" twice danced
under the bridge and thrice led off
in 1.-The patriots march" All of this
is tripped to mixed Irish, English and
Scotch airs, but chiefly to an adapta-
ton of "Fhe Wearing of the Green"
Novelties for the seasons ball have not
though ended with new dances or COM
bination but valiant effort has been
made, and with considerable success,
to arrange the dances with an eye to
attracting young men and to reducing
the grand total of wall flowers. The
Cinderella parties, winding up exactly
on the stroke of II, have drawn good
many nice young men who, because of
early morning hours for business, can't
afford to dance after midnight. Now
we have brands of ''cricketS on the
hearth" who begin their revels at Sis
of an evening and allow demi-toilets-
that is, a frockcoat and high Waistcoat
for the men and bright silk waists,
with dark skirts, for the women.
A MATTER OF LUCK.
But the most glorious philanthropy
so far practiced is the fate dances,
where your partner is decided for you
by tickle fortune. Just in the doorway
of the ballroom stands an attendant,
or the hostess who pins on the fronts
Of bodices, or lapels of coats, tiny
are numbered according to every in
dividuaTs order in arriving.
Also in the doorway stands a great
Of which wi wi cd