XXIV.—Sir Roger De Coverley

We conclude our account of the dances now most in vogue with an old-fashioned favourite, whose popularity dates from a bygone age, and bids fair to survive the present one. Long may its cheerful rustic strains be heard in our ball-rooms, and prove we have not grown too fine or too foolish to take pleasure in the simple dances of our ancestors. Sir Roger de Coverley is always introduced at the end of the evening; and no dance could be so well fitted to send the guests home in good humour with each other and with their hosts. We describe it as it is danced in the present day, slightly modernised to suit the taste of our time. Like the quadrille, it can be danced with equal propriety by old or young; and is so easy, that the most inexperienced dancer may fearlessly venture to take part in it.

Form in two parallel lines; ladies on the left, gentlemen on the right, facing their partners. All advance; retreat (which occupies the first four bars); cross to opposite places (four bars more); advance and retreat (four bars); re-cross to places (four bars).

The lady who stands at the top, and the gentleman who stands at the bottom, of each line, advance towards each other, courtesy and bow, and retire to places. The gentleman at the top and the lady at the bottom do the same. Lady at top and gentleman at bottom advance again, give right hands, and swing quickly round each other back to places. Gentleman at top and lady at bottom do the same. Top lady advances, gives right hand to partner opposite, and passes behind the two gentlemen standing next to him. Then through the line and across it, giving left hand to partner, who meets her half way between the two lines, having in the meantime passed behind the two ladies who stood next his partner. Lady then passes behind the two ladies next lowest; gentleman at same time behind the two gentlemen next lowest; and so on all down the line. At the bottom, lady gives left hand to her partner, and they promenade back to places at the top of the line. (This figure is frequently omitted.) Top couple advance, courtesy and bow, then lady turns off to the right, gentleman to the left, each followed by the rest of her or his line. Top couple meet at the bottom of figure, join hands, and, raising their arms, let all the other couples pass under them towards the top of the line, till all reach their own places, except the top, who have now become the bottom couple. Figure is repeated from the beginning, until the top couple have once more worked their way back to their original places at the top of the line.

Glossary

Throughout the Ball-room Guide we have endeavoured to avoid as much as possible the rise of French words, and to give our directions in the plain mother tongue. Nevertheless there must always be certain technical terms, such as chassez croisez, glissade, &c., &c., for which it would be difficult to find good English equivalents. We therefore subjoin a Glossary of all such words and expressions as have long since been universally accepted as the accredited phraseology of the Ball-room.

A vos places, back to your own places.

A la fin, at the end.

A droite, to the right.

A gauche, to the left.

Balancez, set to your partners.

Balancez aux coins, set to the corners.

Balancez quatre en ligne, four dancers set in a line, joining hands, as in La Poule.

Balancez en moulinet, gentlemen and their partners give each other right hands across, and balancez in the form of a cross.

Balancez et tour des mains, all set to partners, and turn to places.
(See Tour des mains.)

Ballotez, do the same step four times without changing your place.

Chaine Anglaise, opposite couples right and left.

Chaine des dames, ladies' chain.

Chaine Anglaise double, double right and left.

Chaine des dames double, all the ladies perform the ladies' chain at the same time.

Chassez croisez, do the chassé step from left to right, or right to left, the lady passing before the gentleman in the opposite direction, that is, moving right if he moves left, and vice versâ.

Chassez croisez et déchassez, change places with partners, ladies passing in front, first to the right, then to the left, back to places. It may be either à quatre four couples—or les huit—eight couples.

Chassez à droite—à gauche, move to the right—to the left.

Le cavalier seul, gentleman advances alone.

Les cavaliers seuls deux fois, gentlemen advance and retire twice without their partners.

Changez vos dames, change partners.

Contre partie pour les autres, the other dancers do the same figure.

Demi promenade, half promenade.

Demi chaine Anglaise, half right and left.

Demi moulinet, ladies all advance to centre, right hands across, and back to places.

Demi tour à quatre, four hands half round.

Dos-à-dos, lady and opposite gentleman advance, pass round each other back to back, and return to places.

Les dames en moulinet, ladies give right hands across to each other, half round, and back again with left hands.

Les dames donnent la main droite—gauche—à leurs cavaliers, ladies give the right—left—hands to partners.

En avant deux et en arrière; first lady and vis-à-vis gentleman advance and retire. To secure brevity, en avant is always understood to imply en arrière when the latter is not expressed.

En avant deux fois, advance and retreat twice.

En avant quatre, first couple and their vis-à-vis advance and retire.

En avant trois, three advance and retire, as in La Pastorale.

Figurez devant, dance before.

Figurez à droite—à gauche, dance to the right—to the left.

La grande tour de rond, all join hands and dance, completely round the figure in a circle back to places.

Le grand rond, all join hands, and advance and retreat twice, as in
La Finale.

Le grand quatre, all eight couples form into squares.

La grande chaine, all the couples move quite round the figure, giving alternately the right and left hand to each in succession, beginning with the right, until all have regained their places, as in last figure of the Lancers.

La grande promenade, all eight (or more) couples promenade all round the figure back to places.

La main, the hand.

La meme pour les cavaliers, gentlemen do the same.

Le moulinet, hands across. The figure will explain whether it is the gentlemen, or the ladies, or both, who are to perform it.

Pas d'Allemande, the gentleman turns his partner under each arm in succession.

Pas de Basque, a kind of sliding step forward, performed with both feet alternately in quick succession. Used in the Redowa and other dances. Comes from the South of France.

Glissade, a sliding step.

Le Tiroir, first couple cross with hands joined to opposite couple's place, opposite couple crossing separately outside them; then cross back to places, same figure reversed.

Tour des mains, give both hands to partner, and turn her round without quitting your places.

Tour sur place, the same.

Tournez vos dames, the same.

Tour aux coins, turn at the corners, as in the Caledonians, each gentleman turning the lady who stands nearest his left hand, and immediately returning to his own place.

Traversez, cross over to opposite place

Retraversez, cross back again.

Traversez deux, en dormant la main droite, lady and vis-à-vis gentleman cross, giving right hand, as in La Poule.

Vis-à-vis, opposite.

Figure en tournant, circular figure.

Etiquette of Courtship and Matrimony