All quiet on the Western front... but not for long!

Hi everyone,

It's been a bit quiet on this site for a while - getting back from Waterloo and preparing for a new adventure!

A few months ago, I was given a bursary from the Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society to attend their 2015 summer school called "Dancing Around 1815" in Chichester! It will be one fantastic (and probably exhausting) week of historical dance in honour of the bicentennial of the battle of Waterloo. There will be dance sessions in the morning and afternoon, as well as some lovely evening entertainments, like a Regency At Home and a ball at the Chichester Assembly Rooms (c. 1782), talks and other evenings of casual social dance. It will be a very full week!

I am very excited to meet the course instructors for the week, including Anne Daye, who appeared on Dr. Lucy Worsley's 2014 documentary called "Dancing Cheek to Cheek" (episode 1 - The Devil's Work). Anne Daye will be teaching country dances, cotillions and Scottish reels from 1780 to 1815.

Stuart Marsden will also be teaching the course for the week. He was the dancing master in Dr. Amanda Vickery's fascinating 2013 social experiment "Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball", in which the famous Netherfield Ball was recreated! Stuart Marsden is also involved in the new BBC production of Poldark! He will be teaching country dances, quadrilles and waltzes from 1805 to 1836.

So, I've very excited to have the opportunity to learn from these two experts in the field of historical dance! My goal is to post on what I am learning each day, or if I am too exhausted in the evening, to write about my experiences when I get back. Fingers crossed!

Mosquitoes at Dusk - Paine's Quadrille

Yesterday evening we had a little dance practise of Paine's 4th Set of Quadrilles so that we could do some more filming for those who are interested in learning this dance. It is exactly 2 weeks before the Duchess of Richmond's ball! Since we didn't have the music for Paine's 4th Set, we were using the music from his 1st Set for the videos.

You'll notice that the light levels in each video gets slightly darker, but hopefully the motions will still be pretty clear...

Paine's 4th Set:

Le Pantalon

L'Ete

La Poule

La Pastourelle

It got pretty dark outside, so pay close attention to the figures in this video... It was chaos on the dance floor - we couldn't see a thing! 

Just joking! I'll post videos of the last 2 segments hopefully tomorrow!

June 4 UPDATE: The last 2 videos of the quadrille!

La Pastourelle

La Finale

That's all for now - until next time... Happy dancing!

"Making It Work Takes a Little Longer"

Alrighty...

So, yesterday we had another practise for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball to work on that German Quadrille. Today I will share a couple of promised videos of our group working out the figures and performing them to music. I've included some tips on the German quadrille page itself!

Our practise time was spent only really working out this German quadrille (but it was worth it) so I will have to film some videos for Paine's 4th set some time this week...

Here's a video of us explaining and working out the figures! I figured this might be useful as a tutorial video:

Here's our first time all the way through with music (we used The Family Party from the DHDS Dances for Jane Austen CD)! For our first time with music, I think we did really well!

So, that's all for now! I'll update the Ecossaise page tomorrow with a new video from yesterday's practice. Until next time... Happy dancing!

A Recap

Hi everyone,

Today I'll be recapping some basics of English Country Dance and preparation for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball!

English Country Dance

This dance form can be danced in duple minor sets (2 couples performing the figures), triple minor (3 couples performing figures, or triple sets (only 3 couples do the entire dance). See my post on progression for more details!

In ECD, the 1s always progress DOWN the set, while 2s and 3s (in a triple minor dance), work their way UP the set to eventually become 1s.

To get familiarized with some of the figures used in English Country Dance, I would recommend Thomas Wilson's "An analysis of country dancing, wherein all the figures used in that polite amusement are rendered familiar by engraved lines. Containing also, directions for composing almost any number of figures to one tune, with some entire new reels; together with the complete etiquette of the ball-room."  This book is really good because it provides bird's-eye view diagrams of the individual figures and traces the path performed by each dancer!

Some basic figures we covered for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball include: 

• pousette
• 1st couple leads down and back to 2nd place OR casts into 2nd place
• swinging (turn by 1 hand)
• turning (by 2 hands)
• circles (for 4 and 6)
• changes of rights and lefts
• stars
• allemande

More complex figures: 

• promenade
• Triumph
• circle for 3 with 2nd woman or man going under the arch made by 1st couple

Footwork: skip change, slipping step, jete assemble for those who want to do more advanced footwork. Country dances can also be danced in 3/4, so you can use a waltz

Cotillion

A dance involving 4 couples in a square formation.

This style of dance includes a "chorus" figure that repeats throughout the dance, and a series  of "changes" (ie. circle for 8, ladies' star...).

The German "quadrille" for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball is more similar to the cotillion, with its repeating grand chain, than the quadrille itself! You can use a basic skip change for this dance.

Quadrille

Another dance involving 4 couples in a square formation.

This dance evolved from the cotillion, keeping "chorus" figures and removing all of the extra changes. This made the dance shorter and more concise.

The 5 parts of Paine's 4th Set of Quadrilles are a great example!

Quadrille Figures: 

• chaine anglaise (changes of rights and lefts)
• balancez (facing partner, chasse right and left)
• tour les mains (turn your partner)
• chaine des dames (ladies' chaine - Pantalon)
• demi-promenade (promenade halfway to the other side of the set)
• en avant et en arriere (advance and retire)
• traversez (cross set)
• chasse (slipping step right and left)
• dos-a-dos (back-to-back - Poule)
• chasse croise (couples chasse - women left and in front, men right and behind, and set to corner, and back - Finale)
• grand promenade (skater's hold around the set - Finale).

Basic footwork: skip change, slipping step, jete assemble.

Polonaise

This dance is performed in 3/4 time with a strong emphasis on the 1st beat of each bar.

This dance was used to open balls in Europe, less so in England.

Couples form 2 lines (as in English Country Dance) and follow the head couple around the room. In playing follow-the-leader, the couples will create patterns on the dance floor (ie. couples lead to the top of the room, women split off and go one way, while the men go the other way... something like that).

If you are interested in learning more footwork, check out my polonaise post to see my video on the polonaise step.

Footwork: Polonaise step.

Ecossaise

This dance is interesting because its form changes depending on the country.

In England, this is a duple minor dance in which 1st couple is improper (on opposite sides).

In Europe, and for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball, we will be dancing in triple SETS with 1st couple on their proper sides. The version to be danced at the ball seems less interactive, in terms of dancing with a partner, as each dancer keeps changing sides and positions throughout the dance!

If the music is in 4/4, I would suggest skip change, if in 3/4 a waltz time step.

Waltz

The Regency slow waltz is in 3/4 time and features couples rotating in a circle.

The waltz was more common in Europe and was slowly adopted in England by the bon ton!

See my video on the Regency waltz to learn how to do this dance!

That's all for now - now I need to focus on getting some sewing done! After the weekend, I will (hopefully) update the German quadrille and Paine's quadrille pages with videos from our dance practice. Until then... Happy dancing!

Regency Dance Style Tips

Hi everyone,

Today I'm looking at style tips that you can incorporate into the dances to make the figures even prettier! Hopefully you find some of these useful, as I have, in the dance group I am in. I will work from the feet up!

Feet

• Dance on your toes! You will be able to move more smoothly and your motions will appear and feel much lighter than if dancing on the flats of your feet. You could practise walking around your house walking on the balls of your feet to build the strength in your calf muscles.
• When skipping, or doing a jeté assemblé (any motion, really), it is really important to bend your knees! You do not want to damage your knees by landing hard on a straight leg!
• It's also helpful to be on the beat! If you are doing a skip change, take that 1st step of the skip change on beat 1. If you are doing a waltz step, make sure each step corresponds with a beat of music.
• Use up all the music allotted to each figure - what I do is find a reference or halfway point for each figure so that I know that I am on track and on time as I dance. For example, if I am doing a right-hand star, followed by a left-hand star in 8 bars, I tell myself that I need to reach the halfway point in 4 bars, to turn around and get back to place on time.
• I also try to remain in continuous motion, especially in waltz country dances, because it makes all of the figures flow into each other. In this video of the York Regency Dancers at Queen Charlotte's Birthday Ball, we perform Duke of Kent's Waltz (starting at 2:45), and I make sure I use up all of the music and remain in continuous motion if possible.

Torso

• Try to work on posture, having a straight back, instead of slouching. Dancing is made easier if you have control of the muscles in your core, especially when working with a partner in the Regency waltz!

Arms

• Give weight in figures like circles and turns... This means, tighten your biceps to create a firm arm. If you also slightly pull your arms down and out, this will create a nice firm circle or turn. This structure is really helpful to prevent a circle for 4 or 6 from collapsing and can even help you get around faster because nothing is weighing the circle down! I will try to create a little video to illustrate.
• When giving weight in a circle or star (etc.), create a pleasing arch with your arms (my ballet teacher always told me to imagine I was holding a big beach ball!). This serpentine style was very popular in the Regency period!

• However, if the ballroom is crowded, this arm hold is less practical. You and your partner should lower your joined hands between you to use up less space.
• Do not grip your partner/group's hands too hard - you want the grip to be firm so that your hands don't slip from each others, but not crushing...

Head

• Smile! If you are enjoying yourself, let everyone around you know!
• Eye contact - this is really important to making the dance feel social! After all, you are dancing and interacting with other people in the set. I find it's always nice to acknowledge their existence when performing figures together! When I first joined the York Regency Dancers, I was really shy and found the eye contact really strange and intimidating, but over time it becomes more comfortable and enjoyable.

Within the Dance

• This may develop over time, but when you are dancing with a partner, you learn to gauge what they need. It's teamwork after all, right? You can actually sense if they need more tension in your arms to get around that circle, or need to go faster or slower to complete the figure. It's a good sense to develop... being aware of your partner and his/her motions as well as your own.
• Also, I find it really helpful, particularly in the longer dances, to think of the next figure in the dance while dancing to be prepared. If you have memorized figures or know the dance well enough, you won't necessarily need to wait for the figure to be called. This helps to keep the motion continuous, as I mentioned before, and can also help your partner or your set should they be unfamiliar with the figures, or forget!
• Similar to the previous point, remember the set you are dancing within, particularly in a triple minor longways, when the positions of the 2s and 3s keep changing. Keep your mind sharp! See my post on progression.
• When leading down the set, let the set breath! What I mean by that is, if the dancers going down the middle or dancing around another couple need room, you can back up to give them space to dance comfortably. The lines along the set don't need to be rigid.

Practising without a group

• What I do at home, when I don't have a group to dance with, is "ghost" the dance. Now, this may seem a bit odd, but I swear it works! If you imagine that there are other people occupying the spaces within the set or formation (ie. quadrille), you can walk through the figures on your own. I did that yesterday with the German quadrille. Even though it may look strange to other people or feel strange to you initially, this kind of motion helps to build muscle memory for each dance!
• I will post a little video later to illustrate. It may look bizarre, but it helps to build confidence and memory, because you know what YOU are supposed to be doing, and not relying on other people.
• UPDATE: Below is a video of me "ghosting" the German quadrille. I will also post this video on the German quadrille page. I know it will seem a bit odd since there are no other people to fill in for some of the confusing figures, but I will post a video of our quadrille practise after the weekend with more people. This is just to get you started on that long dance! 
• The music I used was called The Family Party, a country dance from the Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society Dances for Jane Austen CD. Please excuse my dog barking the background - he always tosses me a ball when I dance, so I had to keep him inside!

Well, that's all for now! I hope that helps a bit - until next time... Happy dancing!

The Ecossaise

Hello everyone,

Today I'll be reconstructing the diagrams Mr. Baert sent for the Ecossaise! When I last wrote on the subject of this dance form, I noted that the English Ecossaise was a duple minor dance in which 1st couple was improper (man on the woman's side, woman on the man's side). However, the Ecossaise on the European continent seems to have taken a different form. 

The Ecossaise that the dance master will call is a triple set (not longways), so only 3 couples dance in each group. 1st couple is also "proper", although the lines change sides throughout the dance. I made contact with Mr. Baert and he said that the instructions sent out are actually for 4 Ecossaises, but that he will be doing 2 or 3 on the night of the ball. The figures provided all seem to flow into each other, so I don't know how he will choose which figures to call. So, I will reconstruct the figures in the order that he has sent out. I have redrawn the figures in colour so that you can trace the path of each dancer.

** I will look into timings and footwork for this dance and update once I have the information. I will also try to create video clips for some of the figures.

The 1st image in each diagram demonstrates the figures, and the 2nd image is to reflect the position in which the dancers end each figure.

UPDATE: A group of us in Canada got together to try out the figures and do some troubleshooting, so underneath certain figures, I will provide some tips and potential timings that we worked out, in a different colour.

Ecossaise 1

Figure 1: All 3 men cross the set by left shoulders and loop anti-clockwise around their partner, ending up in front of them in a single file line (4 bars).

Figure 2: Taking hands in a single file line for 6, all promenade to the men's side, placing 1st couple at the bottom and 3rd couple at the top (4 bars).

Figure 3: 2nd couple advances and retires WHILE 1st and 3rd couples change places on the outside of the set. I'm not certain but, to take up less room in the ballroom, perhaps 1st and 3rd couples use a slipping step and skip sideways up or down the set (4 bars).

• Instead of skipping sideways with a slipping step, one could face up (1^st couple) or down (3^rd couple) and use a skip change in a single file line with hands.

Figure 4: The 3 woman cross the set back to place WHILE the men cross the set by left shoulders and dance anti-clockwise around their partners to place. The set with 2 lines has been re-formed (4 bars).

• Women should lag behind and take small steps so that the men can cross around them faster in 4 bars of music. If the women are already in position on the other side of the set, the men have to go even wider around them, which makes it harder to for them get back to place in 4 bars.

Figure 5: 1st couple casts to 3rd place (2nd and 3rd couples move up - 4 bars).

Figure 6: All couples cross the set by left shoulders, placing men on the ladies' side and ladies on the men's side (4 bars).

• When we crossed the set by left shoulders, we also did a little loop (women downward, men upward) so that the partners are opposite each other, rather than on a diagonal.

Ecossaise 2

Figure 7: Men will promenade anti-clockwise in a single file line on the outside of the set to the men's side, placing 2nd man at the bottom WHILE the ladies promenade clockwise in a single file line on the inside of the set to the ladies' side, placing 2nd woman at the bottom. These 2 lines move at the same time (4 bars).

Figure 8: 3rd couple (in the middle) do a back-to-back WHILE 1st and 2nd couples circle around them. I'm not sure if this is with hands or without - there might not be much room to do the back-to-back if the circle with hands is small (8 bars?).

• For this figure, the back-to-back would be really tiny and cramped in the middle if 2^nd and 1^st couple took hands and circled around them.
• When practising, we also found that it was really hard to get all the way around the circle in 4 bars, so maybe it’s done in 8 bars? That means, the 3^rd couple in the middle might need to do 2 back-to-backs to fill up the music.

Figure 9: 1st couple casts down to the 3rd place, WHILE 2nd couple casts up (1s on the outside, 2s on the inside) AND 3rd couple (in 2nd place) leads through the bottom couple (without hands) and casts back up to 2nd place (4 bars). 

•  For this figure, it almost seems like the 3^rd couple are following the 2^nd couple, who cast up to 1^st. The 3s still end up in 2^nd position, but that’s the track they seem to follow.

Figure 10: 2nd couple crosses down the set diagonally, and loops around 1st couple (2nd man beside 1st woman, 2nd woman beside 1st man) to form a line for 4. The gentleman should always allow the lady to cross diagonally in front of him (4 bars).

Figure 11: 3rd couple does a 2-hand turn WHILE the line for 4 promenades anti-clockwise in a single file line around them (8 bars?).

• We couldn’t get around 3^rd couple in 4 bars, so we allotted 8 bars to complete this figure. However, that means the 3^rd couple would do a 2-hand turn 2x around.

Figure 12: 3rd couple dance, moving outside the set (3rd woman clockwise; 3rd man anti-clockwise) around the line for 4. They come together in the middle behind the line to lead under the 1st couples arms (raised in an arch) and back to place (4 bars).

• For the 3^rd couple, it was pretty tricky trying to get around in 4 bars,
• Also, in the video (at the end), I accidentally called the figure backwards, so the dancers start by going through the middle and around the 1s and 2s, when it should be the other way around… Whoops!

Ecossaise 3

Figure 13: 2nd couple crosses up diagonally, in front of 1st couple, back to their place at the top of the set. Like last time, the man should let the lady cross in front of him first (4 bars).

Figure 14: The 3 ladies dance anti-clockwise around the men's line and place themselves beside the men in a line for 6. 2nd woman (being at the top) has to go furthest on the man's side, to place herself next to 1st man. 3rd woman (in the middle) has to reach the middle position on the man's side, to place herself next to 3rd man. 1st woman (at the bottom) loops around 2nd man and takes her place next to him at the top of the line (4 bars).

Figure 15: 1st man and 2nd woman raise their arms in an arch WHILE the other 4 dancers take hands and promenade clockwise in a single file line under their arms. Make sure the lady ends up on the right side of the man to form 2 lines (8 bars?).

• Passing through the arch and getting into position was tricky in 4 bars. The 3^rd couple barely made it through the arch, let alone into proper positions for the next figure. It would work better if 8 bars of music were allotted to this figure.

Figure 16: The set for 3 couples then take inside hands and "re-sets" itself into beginning formation (like an English Country Dance with men on one side and women on the other - 4 bars).

Figure 17: The 3 woman turn over their right shoulders to dance in a little (clockwise) loop back to place WHILE the 3 men take hands in the single file line and follow 2nd man (at the bottom) and cast up. This returns 2nd man to his partner and 1st man to his partner (4 bars).

I hope that helps to clarify the diagrams - I spent a lot of time thinking about how best to describe the action in each figure. They look a bit confusing to start but they can be worked out!

Here's a little video showing each figure - we were troubleshooting to see what worked with timing and footwork!

NOTE: There is a small error in this video. In figure 12, the 3s go through the arch and around the line for 4, when it was supposed to be going around and then through. I wonder if that order would change the timing...

It was also a surprisingly cold May day, so we had to bundle up to practise!

We did try the steps with a skip change, waltz step, strathspey etc. Since we don't know what the music sounds like, or even the time signature, it's hard to know which one we will be using at the ball - probably skip change.

ANOTHER UPDATE!

We had another dance practise to prepare for the ball - this time with music... Not perfect, but it's getting there! We used the tune "Royal Chase" from the DHDS CD Dances for Jane Austen!

We did come up with some pretty interesting short names for the figures to jog our memories  - ie. sliding doors (fig. 3), donut hole (fig. 4), "not a hey" (fig. 9), reset (fig. 16)... so you aren't hearing things! It definitely helps with so many figures. Try coming up with your own - see what works for you!

That's all for now - until next time... Happy dancing!

Miss Bedford's Waltz

Hi everyone, 

Mr. Baert sent out dance figures yesterday to those who were interested, so now we have more figures for the ball! I'm currently working on reconstructing the quadrille and ecossaise from the German sources, so those will be posted later on once I've had a chance to work them out. They are more complicated than Paine's 4th Set of Quadrilles and the English version of the Ecossaise. Until then, I will post figures for Miss Bedford's Waltz from Thompson's 1813 dance manual! 

Miss Bedford's Waltz

A1: 1st couple circles for 3 with 2nd woman (4 bars). 1st couple forms an arch and the 2nd woman passes under it and casts back to place. 1st lady can also keep hands with 2nd lady so that she can also turn clockwise under the man's arm (4 bars). 

A2: 1st couple circles for 3 with 2nd man (4 bars). 1st couple forms an arch and the 2nd man passes under it and casts back to place. 1st man can also keep hands with 2nd man so that he can turn anti-clockwise under his partner's arm (4 bars).

B1: 1st couple leads down the middle (4 bars), comes back and casts into 2nd to progress (4 bars).

B2: 1st and 2nd couples do 4 changes of lefts and rights (8 bars).

C1: 1st couple turn corners (8 bars).

• 1st couple crosses set by right shoulders and 2-hand turns right-hand corner. Repeat with the left-hand corner.

C2: Couples balance with the right hand and change sides. Repeat with the left hand (8 bars).

• You take right hands with your partner, and step in towards each other, out and the woman turns anti-clockwise under her partner's arm. You end up on opposite sides of the set. Repeat with the left hand, but turn clockwise under your partner's arm, returning to place. See the video below.
• NOTE: this is from Mr. Baert's reconstruction of the figures, not the original, for timing purposes.

So, that's another waltz country dance for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball! That's all for now (I'll keep working on those other reconstructions...) - until next time! Happy dancing!

An updated ball list + Northdown Waltz

Alright, we have an updated dance list for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball! I've included a chart to show the difference between the old list and the new list:

Old Dance List	New Dance List
Paine’s 4th set of Quadrilles (1815)	Paine's 4th set of Quadrilles 1815
Brussels Waltz 1815	REMOVED
Russian Waltz 1815	Common Waltzing for Couples around 1815
Duke of Wellington Waltz 1815	Duke of Wellington Waltz 1815
Leamington Dance 1811	Leamington Dance 1811
The Triumph 1816	Triumph 1816
3 Anglaises/Almanach Geselligen Vergnügen : Tanztouren Roller 1814	3 Anglaises from Almanach Ges. Vergnügen 1815
3 ecossaies/Almanach Geselligen Vergnügen : 1815	3 ecossaises from Almanach Ges. Vergnügen 1815
Quadrille 1/Almanach Geselligen Vergnügen : 1815	2 Special Quadrilles from Almanach Ges Vergnügen 1815 and from Tanzmeister Helmke.
Polonaise/Music from Pamer.	Polonaise
Opera Reel	REMOVED
Reel for 5	REMOVED
	ADDED: Miss Bedford Waltz
	ADDED: Northdown Waltz
	ADDED: Sir Roger de Coverley

So, over the next few days I will look at the few dances that were added. I've already looked up the Miss Bedford Waltz in my personal collection, Regencydances.org, the Colonial Dance and Music Index and Google in general and haven't had any luck in finding the original music or figures, so I will move on to the Northdown Waltz, which was published in Goulding's 1820 publication. Here are the figures:

The Northdown Waltz

A1 & A2: 1st lady and 2nd man change place; 2nd lady and 1st man change place (8 bars). Repeat to places (8 bars).

• The modern reconstruction for the figure includes a balance, in which 1st corners take right hands, balance forward and back and change places.
• One can use the balance and turn under the arm version, but one only starts with the right hand and crosses diagonals, instead of finishing with the left hand. See video:

• For those of you who have seen the BBC production of Wives and Daughters, Miss Cynthia Kirkpatrick and Mr. Preston dance this one together at the Easter ball.

B: 1st couple lead down the middle and back to 2nd place to progress, and the 2nd couple moves up (8 bars).

C: 1st and 2nd couples pousette once around (8 bars).

The recording for the Northdown Waltz can be found on the Volume 6: At the Ball CD from the Country Dance and Song Society.

That's all for now - until next time... Happy dancing!

My mind is Reeling...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Today I'll be looking at Thomas Wilson's Reel for 5, which can be found in Wilson's c. 1815 publication "The complete system of English country dancing, containing all the figures ever used in English country dancing, with a variety of new figures, and new reels".

Here's the image and description of the dance:

Similar to the traditional reels for 3 or 4 people (not couples) in the Regency ballroom, this reel for 5 alternates 8 bars of heying and 8 bars of setting.

I have created a diagram that shows the progression of the reel for 5 for each 8 bar strain. 

This is how I think of the dance:

• Dancer B heys with A & C, then "thanks" both of them (in the same order) for dancing with him/her by setting to them.
• In the 1st repetition, dancer B is the only dancer who gets to do 2 heys (1st with AC, 2nd with FD), but does an extra loop in the 2nd hey with F to change places.
• Facing B, F then "thanks" B for putting him/her in the middle by setting, and then D for dancing with them, also with setting.
• **NOTE: F's left shoulder is facing the person he/she heys with next (C). This is the same for every dancer in the middle! 
• This pattern repeats until the dance is over.

This figure can be danced to Morpeth's Rant or Fisher's Hornpipe, as listed in Wilson's description. Other tunes available on CD include Bonny Highland Laddie or Lady Mary Ramsay on "The Regency Ballroom" CD by Spare Parts.

I hope this helps everyone who wants to try this interesting dance form. I will post a video later this evening, after a dance practice, demonstrating the reel for 5 - so be sure to check this page for the update! If anything still seems unclear, please let me know and I will try to help in any way I can! 

UPDATE: Here's the video I filmed at today's dance practice. I hope it makes the pattern clearer!

That's all for now - until next time... Happy dancing!