Resources for the Study of 19Th Century Social Dance Ellis Rogers
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Resources for the Study of 19th Century Social Dance Ellis Rogers The following is a summary of the most accessible and useful Wilson, T of the sources for research into 19th century ballroom dance, A Companion to the Ballroom with some information on their content. Only British, French, Button and Whittaker, London, 1816, 234 pages German, American and Canadian sources are quoted. Notation of the melody line and calls for hundreds of The abbreviation ‘call’ has been used to indicate abbrevi- country dances; notation only for Allemandes, Cotillions, ated instructions for figures, for example ladies’ chain, prom- Minuets and Marches. Includes an entertaining ‘Disserta- enade. tion on the state of the Ballroom’, a great quantity of 1. General Survey of 19th Century Dance dances, not always of high quality. Three books are essential reading: Wilson, T Emmerson, G.S. A description of the correct method of Waltzing A Social History of Scottish Dance Sherwood, Neely and Jones, London, 1816, 119 pages McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal & London, A description of French Waltzing - slow Waltz, Sauteuse 1972 Waltz and quick Sauteuse danced in sequence. I am not This book contains much general material on English as aware of any other description of this form of waltzing well as Scottish dance, predominantly of the 18th and 19th although the folk dance Swedish Masquerade has some centuries. similarities. Also includes description of German Waltz- Guilcher, J.M. ing; notation of melody line given for several tunes. La Contredanse Gourdoux-Daux, J.H Mouton & Co, La Haye, 1969 Principes et notions elementaires sur l’Art de la Danse An excellent and complete history of social ballroom Dondey-Dupré, Paris, 1811, 87 pages dancing in France from medieval times to the 20th century. A revised and enlarged edition was published in 1823 with Especially detailed information is given on the 18th and the title l’Art de la Danse. This book gives detailed 19th centuries. In French. descriptions of the steps and the most frequently used Richardson, P.J.S. figures in the Quadrille as danced 1804-1830. These two The Social Dance of the 19th Century editions are essential reading for those who wish to dance Herbert Jenkins, London, 1960 in the style of that period. The second edition of 1823 includes descriptions of the more complicated steps, in- A good introduction to 19th century dance, it includes cluding entrechat, pirouette, temps de cuisse and a detailed descriptions of Waltz, Polka, Quadrilles and the Washing- description of waltzing. Gourdoux-Daux’ authority is con- ton Post. firmed by Carlo Blasis; his work appeared in translation in 2. Dance Manuals and Music America in 1817 and Scotland in 1822. In French. Trans- The following are listed in roughly chronological order: lation by Ellis Rogers awaiting publication. Peacock, F Wilson, T Sketches relative to the History and Theory but more The Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama especially to the Practice of Dancing R & E Williamson, London, c.1818, 107 pages J. Chalmers & Co., Aberdeen, 1805, 224 pages Despite its title, this work contains no information on the A general history of dance; use of dance to correct posture; Cotillion. It consists of detailed descriptions of fifty-two description of Scottish reel steps pp 74-85. quadrille figures, with diagrams and some illustrations. Wilson, T French dance terms are explained. There are no descrip- Treasures of Terpsichore tions of steps but a short list is given of the names of the W. Calvert, London, 1809, 144 pages steps most commonly used. Preface on the present state of dancing; calls for 223 triple Dun, B minor country dances. No music. A translation of nine of the most fashionable Quadrilles William Wilson & Co., Edinburgh, 1818, 69 pages Wilson, T Analysis of Country Dancing A short description of the style in which Quadrilles should Calvert, London, 1808, 194 pages be performed. Includes a long extract on posture, taken from The Mirror of the Graces by ‘A lady of distinction’, Description and diagrams of figures used in triple minor published in London, 1810. No step descriptions; calls country dances. This was enlarged and revised and later given for fifty Quadrilles; no music ; one Quadrille in waltz issued under the title The Complete System of English time. Country Dancing in 1815. This later version is the better buy. Strathy, A Elements of the Art of Dancing Simonet, F Pillans, Edinburgh, 1822, 98 pages Fashionable Parisian Quadrilles C. Wheatstone, London, 1810, 48 pages The greater part of this work is an unacknowledged trans- lation of the 1811, edition of Goudou-Daux’ l’Art de la Piano notation for six sets of five or six Quadrilles; calls Danse. To this has been added descriptions of a few extra given, generally First Set, repeated; music for ten Waltzes, steps and enchainements for ‘balancing’; calls are given one Allemande and two Sauteuses. for First Set and two other Quadrilles, one of which is Les Historical Dance Volume 3, Number 5, 1998Copyright © 1998 Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society Page 9 Lanciers - not Duval’s or Hart’s version but a single Roche, La Marlborough, La Monaco, Quadrilles La Bonne Quadrille. Aventure and Les Graces. There is music for Bourrées, Anon. Mazurkas, La Fricassée, Bolero, la Bernoise and a sailor’s Analysis of the London Ballroom dance. Details are given of La Gigue Anglaise, which is Thomas Tegg, London 1825, 159 pages said to be used frequently as the final quadrille in a set. The History of dancing; etiquette of the ballroom; calls for musical arrangements in the Recueil Unique are not up to twenty-one country dances, six sets of Quadrilles (all First the very high quality of the quadrille music in the other Set) and eight Waltz country dances. Piano notation is volumes. Volume 16 of Quadrilles is said to be music given for all the dances, but the quality of the arrangements composed by Collinet and Musard and played by them at makes them less than useful Almacks in the presence of the Prince Regent in 1821. In French. Translation by Ellis Rogers of Recueil Unique is Anon. awaiting publication. Contre-Danses à Paris 1818 Handwritten manuscript found in a Paris market. Pollock, J.S. Original in the National Library of Scotland, ms 3860. La Terpsichore Modern Written 1820 or later. London, c.1824, 40 pages An invaluable source of information on Quadrille and Brief descriptions of quadrilles by Pain, Weippert, Hart Scottish country dancing figures and steps. The paper is and Duval, including differing versions of The Lancers by watermarked 1820 and later, thus the title is probably Hart and Duval. Also included are three sets of Quadrilles indicative of the date when the collection of material was in waltz time and The Guards, The Hussars, The Mid begun. Contains very detailed descriptions and diagrams Lothian, The Caledonian, The Cuirassiers, The Hibernian of common quadrille figures and some of the more compli- and The Parisian Quadrilles. No music. cated country dance figures; comments on the introduction Pollock, J.S of the Waltz to Scotland; details of quadrille, reel and Companion to la Terpsichore Moderne strathspey steps; descriptions of fifteen Scottish country London, c.1820, 30 pages dances. The handwriting is fairly easy to decipher. Descriptions of Circassian Circle dances, Mescolanzes, Much of the material in this work is examined and analysed Swedish Dance, l’Union Dance, La Callopade, Spanish in Dance Studies, Vol. 13 by Yves Guillard, obtainable country dances; calls for twenty-seven English country from The Centre for Dance Studies, Jersey, Channel Is- dances; description of Bavarian Quadrille (waltz) and lands, JE3 7AQ. Hart’s 26th set of Quadrilles. No Music. Blasis, C Lowe, Messrs. The Code of Terpsichore Lowes Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide J. Bulcock, London, 1828 Lowe, Edinburgh, c.1830, 181 pages Mainly concerned with theatrical dance and the ballet but Contains twelve pages on deportment in the ballroom, one section on ‘Private Dancing’ contains descriptions of glossary of French terms, brief explanations of the five Quadrilles. Much of this book was translated into French quadrilles in First Set, plus an extra finale; gives two more by Paul Vergnaud and published in France in 1830 with the sets of Quadrilles taken from Dun and Strathy’s version of title Manuel Complet de La Danse. A later edition c.1860 Les Lanciers. This is followed by a description of Sixtrilles, includes descriptions and comments on couple dances of a variant of First Set danced with three people on each side that time, including the Redowa and Polka Mazurka. of a square set, a man between two ladies. There is a call for The Italian Monferina (a quadrille style of dance) and Casoril, L a Reel of Eight, which is said to frequently follow the above Der instructive Tanzmeister für Herren und Damen dance. The Gallopade is described and followed by a Zimenau, 1826, 110 pages description of a form of mazurka in a set of two couples Contains descriptions of many dance steps of the period. side by side facing two couples similarly placed; mazurka Dances described are: the Waltz and such variations as the steps are described. Langsame Waltz, the Ecossaise Waltz and the Viener Waltz. There are also some country dances, including five Various methods of holding your partner in a Waltz are German versions of Ecossaise and four French dances. described but there is no detailed description of this couple Also included are some cotillion/quadrille type dances and dance. Mescolanzes are described and five figures given. a version of The Tempest; no music or diagrams. Two Ecossaises are given and two Spanish dances. There are two sets of figures for the Circassian Circle Dance and Collinet calls given for twenty-six country dances.