In a message sent on Feb. 21, I described "quadrilles" danced in Vienna with dancers in formations that looked like Becket contra lines but that actually consisted of two-couple sets dancing independently (except for occasional opportunities for eye contact when advancing and retiring on a diagonal), and I wrote:
> ... I'd guess that the change to a Becket-like formation was intended to > reduce the amount of inactivity, to make more efficient use of floor space, > or both. It might also reduce the total duration of the figures. I have no > idea whether the change in formation is a recent innovation or whether it > goes back many decades, perhaps even into the 19th century. I now see that the "History" section of the Wikipedia article on "Quadrille" begins as follows: The term quadrille originated in 17th-century military parades in which four mounted horsemen executed square formations. The word probably derived from the Italian quadriglia (diminutive of quadra, hence a small square). The dance was introduced in France around 1760: originally it was a form of cotillion in which only two couples were used, but two more couples were eventually added to form the sides of a square. ... If the opening sentences of that second paragraph are accurate, then the two-couple version of the quadrille (in which the two-couple sets might tend to line up alongside each other, giving the appearance of what we'd now call a Becket contra line) dates back to the 18th century and is actually older than the version in a four-couple square. Unfortunately, the article doesn't offer sufficient specific citations or quotations of sources supporting specific claims for me judge how reliable it is. --Jim _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net