New-York tribune., 1897-01-25
DANCES or THE FTTt RE.
SOCIETY INCLINED TO RETURN Io Ihh
STATELY MINUET AND THE
May GAVOTTE.

This winter promises return OF the smart set 10
the dignlhed and ceremonious dances OF our great
grandmother-. The really new dances are 10 oe
the very old. with one or TWO exceptions once
more fair women and gallant 'nen VIII walk
through the courily figures OF the Minuet de la
Occur or thread the mazes of the dignhed Ca
Vote and Pavane.
II Is never safe say that new" dance has
come until II has passed the cruc,l test OF AT least
one winter. A teacher who inven.s new dance
or rather novel combine ton Of steps, since there
is really such thing as new dance possible
introduces 1t the society Of teachers 10 which ne
belongs. possibly 10 conve1tion or such as
sociations and the Individual teachers in their turn
Introduce 1t TO their classes the following season
But that IS only the first pas.
you may lead girl TO the photographers bat
you can't make her smile" says Oliver Hereford.
In like manner you may teach your dance in the
classroom. but you can't make people dance II at
home. II the distinctly fashionable set OF New
York ask for dance the second season. its
proba tionary period may be regarded as ended. II
has "arrved" Therefore. since the leading teach
ers find that their ultra shiona5le patrons have
already included the Minuet and !ts kindred IN
their list of most desirable" tho Mime; may be
reckoned a revival.
The Minuet and Gavoite have one claim 10 favor
tha, be urged by no other dances. They
never become popular except amors persons OF cult
and social training. Think of a minuet 10y
the "Bowery" denizens. As a teacher puts It: 'Ii
is not what YOU dance. bui how You may find
able q h6te French useful ia re, your dinner, but
It will not enable You to converse with Gentlemen"
The polka and polka glide are being revived also
after having been 'reicgatcd TO nnocuous desue-
tude" for perhaps twenty years. and may be con
sidcred the successors OF the rwo Step. so long
popular. Although this will still be danced. its IN
fuence is decidedly waning. and a very few seasons
viii place ii the retired lis, 1t popuarized
by Sousa. and returned the compliment by being p
INN Mt af bfs
music being written in six-eighi time. II cspe-
cially adapted to the Two Step. and breathed its
very spirit
An adaptation Of this dance called Two Stop
Square" was introduced last winter by leading
teacher and AT once becan, popular among his
pupil u Is likely 10 be III favor This season rs 1t
used more or less during the summer at
Newport, Bar Harbor and othec resorts. and the
classes just formed are asking for 1t. An innova
tion is The allowing of twelve measures instead Of
Of each figure mus giving I'M to finish and re-
turn TO place without hurry. TIL. dance consists Of
four hgures-quadrille, moutnet. alignment and
The Harlem Two s,ep, is another variation that
has been received with favor 1t begins with four
slides. succeeded by two slides with each foot. then
four slides in the opposite direction ald two each
way forming sequences OF four and Two The En-
Avant IS still another which Will be much in evi-
dence this winter among the smart set
1t IL probable that the schottische is also 'cel
the Influence OF the terpsichorean renaissance as a
fve-step schottische introduced 10y q. ". Wallace
eighteen years ago. which was then failure owing
10 its odd and rather difficult accentuation
introduced hv him las. season. and has been In
Tho oxford Mnuet and Spanish Yorke will re-
main popular this season although. having served
the purpose OF leading up 10 the return OF the old
stately dances they may share the tate OF
most forerunners. and disappear themselves.
coming season Is the "Gavotte de kaiserin." which
was introduced 10 European society year ago end
Court in particular whence lts name
For he rest the wss remain, the sSe de
and the rihing changes that II undergoes are hardly
worth considering. At present the European stYle
3 Of rir ug IL American ic Ger