Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-19

in enc part, called the choir, for these
exercises. the name of which is pre-
served in our churches; as was the
custom. too. till within few centu
ries. Cardinal Nimenes revived the
practice of MISERABLE masses in the
cathedral at Toledo when the people
danced both in the choir and the nave.
with the greatest decorum and devo-
ton. Pere Menetrier. a Jesuit relates
the same thing of some churches in
France. in 1856.
IRE Egyptians had their solemn
dances as well as the Jews. The prin-
cipal was their astronomical dance.
OF WHICH tie sacriligioNs dance around
the golden calf was an imitation From
the Jews and Egyptians these sacred
dances passed into Greece. where the
astronomical dance was adapted to
the theater, with chorus, etc. The
Greeks lad likewise The dance of the
Curetes. which was related to Jupiter;
the lance of satyrs. devoted TO Bac-
chus; the Memphytic dance. invented
by Pyrrhus: the rustic dance. invent
ed by Pan. and the bah dance, invent
ed by Coms Another one of their
dances WAS that of the innocence.
which VAS performed by young wo-
men. The last was also q Spartan
dance, and though so simple. was the
cause Of the double indignity offered
to Helen, and all the subsequent ca
lamities
Many of these dances are still re-
tanned in Greece. but the most curl
Gus and interesting of them all is the
nuptial dance The following is de-
scription of this dance as seen by an
American Traveller: when the bride,
who is dressed in the gayest attire,
has arrived from the country and APP
lToaches the house of the bridegroom
she i encircled by all the principal
females, Who assemble before~the do'r,
and while they dance around DER vel
come her arrival with a degree of eie-
gancc which not only eaptivates the
imag iration, but interests the ailee
| tons They sing at the same time
the anptial songs.
From Greece these dances, with va
rious notifications, found their way
across the Adriatic. Rome adopted her
manners and her acts, which were
afterward dispersed over the rest of
Europe The great Scipio Africanus
amused himself with dancing. Not, :
| says Seneca. those effeminate dances
which announce voluptuousness and
corruption OF manners, but those man
Ily animated dances in use among their
| ancestors. which even their enemies
might witness without abating their
| respect.
| Dancing has always been favorite
| amusement in the United States as
well as in all parts of Europe. So far
| back s the twelfth century the dam
sells of London spent the evenings on
| holidays in dancing before their mas
| tiers doors Dancing was a practice
| among the nobility upon days of fes-
] tivfty, and was countenanced by the
exar1ple of the court. After the coro-
| nation dinner OF Richard II. the king,
| the prelates, the mobiles, the knights
| and the rest Of the company spent the
| remainder of the day in dancing in
| Westminster Hall to the music of the
minstrels. several English monarchs
| are nraised for their skill in dancing
! and none more so than Henry VIII.
| rho revival of dancing as an art be-
| gan in Italy in the fifteenth century.
| Catherine de Medici introduced the
| fashion into France and from that
| tiroa an France has led the world in
| the refinement of it's dances and the
eracefulness of its performers. OF the
| more popular modern dances. the
! ouadrille is probably the Oldest, It's
| present DEVELOPMENT dates from 1873,
but before that time it was common
in Europe for centuries. The lancers
| was invented in 1886. the polka intro
| ducea about 1895, and the waltz. from
| Germany. about 1872 The two-step IS
| OF American origin. Manchester, n.
H.. Union.
| rnH nENpI E,c ExHAANGE