The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
sToRY or OUR DANCES.
The Present Popular Dances Of Compare
lively Recent Origin.

uNciy AsCCcAs XsA8"s
The fashions in dances, like other
fashions, are ohangeable. Two hun
dred years ago the dances most in vogue
were the gayotte. ~allemande. courant,
bourree. pavan. sarabsnde. minuet and
jig.
OF these only the last two survive at
present. and the minuet, although one
Of the most graceful and picturesque
OF dances. 10 very seldom essayed except
on c~eremonious occasions. The dances
now in fashion originated in different
countries and at different times during
the last two centuries. but mostly during
the nineteenth.
The queen Of all the dances Is unques-
tionably the waltz. says the Circle.
France has often laid claim TO the honor.
but it originated among the German
peasants In the seventeenth or eigh-
teenth century. As they danced 1t II
was the slow waltz. called the lander.
Later the Vienna musicians took II
up. ~quiokened the pace and by their lovely
musical settings Of this dance rhythm
established the reign Of the waltz through
out the world. 1t is noteworthy that
the composers of the finest dancing
waltzes ever written-Sohubert. Weber,
Beethoven, Strauss. Lanner, Labitzky,
1t is properly a three step dance. whether
slow or fast. The two step waltz Is a
recent innovation and not an improve
ment.
Besides the waltz we owe to Germany
the galop. an impetuous. dashing dance
dating from about 1900; the polka. q justly
popular four step dance derived from
the Bohemian peasantry about 1880, and
time. also Bohemian in origin.
France has given us the minuet, the
quadrille or co~ntradanoe and the faran-
dole, all square dances or dances par
ticipated in by several pairs or sets stimuli
taneously..
dances, notably the much admired
mazurka in moderate triple time; tn Q
stately polonaise. q kind OF professional
much used in European courts and at
elaborate social functions; the varso-
vienne. a slow three step, and the craco-
vienne. a fast two step.
Italy's chief contribution Is the jig,
In all countries-in Italy as the tarantella
and ssltarello. in England as the hornplpe.
and in Scotland and Ireland as the reel.
Scotland has originated two popular
dances, the Highland fling. q lively Jig
In common time. and about 1850 the schot-
tische, a truly artistic dance. similar to
the polka. but slower, and about 1920
England invented the lanciers. a favorite
variation OF the French quadrille.
Spain has several very fine dances.
such "a the bolero. seguldilla, caohuca.
jota. fandango. habanera,. DO, but for
some reason they are seldom seen out
side Of that country. They deserve to
be universally ~popularized, and doubt
less they will become so in the course
Of time.
South America has som excellent
Indigenous dances, one Of which at least
the Of Peru and Chile
certainly deserves general adoption. 1t
has a very peculiar rhythm, q three step
ed a two step in alienation. thus pro-
ducing in combination a five step measure.
The effect is unique and fascinating.
The only dances native to this country
are sundry figs, reels. clog dances, break
downs, DC. mostly originating among
the Southern plantation hands. While
they cannot be called artistic, like the
national dances OF Germany. Poland.
Spain. Scotland and France.
Dancing teachers have at times intro
duced and e~ndeavored to popularize GER
tain combinations Of some Of the ~favorite
dances, such as the two step waltz al
ready mentioned, the polka ma1urka,
the polka redowa, dc. These hybrids,
however. have generally had only II
short vogue.