[Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ?
I can confirm this from personal experience. I lived in Switzerland for about 10 years, and besides calling there, was active in both the “international” dance community and the Swiss dance community. The latter group puts on a huge New Years Eve dance in Zurich every year. At midnight, they dance the ”Francaise” and for several weeks beforehand, all the groups practice the Francaise in preparation. When I was taught the Francaise, I was astonished that a dance with a French-sounding name consisted mostly of figures that are recognizable from square/ contra. I later learned that the dance form was brought back from England by the French and called “Contredanse anglaise”. The rest or Europe apparently thought it came from France and called it “Contredanse Francaise” instead. These dances were all the rage in the 19th century, and the music we danced to in Switzerland was Die Fledermaus Quadrille, by Strauss. (It is breathtaking, by the way, to see several hundred dancers moving in unison to that music!) It is as Jim describes, a long line arranged as for a Becket formation, but without progression. I wondered about the term “Quadrille” and decided it could only refer to the 4 people who make up what we would call the minor set. Someone mentioned the styling of a courtesy turn. Describing it as a one-handed turn is technically correct but inadequate. In fact, it is basically the same as an American courtesy turn, but without the gentleman placing his arm around the lady’s waist. The danders are side by side, with her hand (palm down) in his hand (palm up) and with no other contact. It takes a little dancerly attention to stay in the proper relative position as the turn takes place... a little like the “unassisted” version of a right and left through in New England. Interestingly, the term for a right and left through in the Francaise is a Chaine Anglaise, an “English Chain.” Sent from my iPad > On Feb 24, 2020, at 3:07 PM, jim saxe via Contra Callers > wrote: > > 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 ___ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
[Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ?
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
[Callers] What's a quadrille?
In Tony Parkes’s third sense, of a square dance prompted to a 64-count tune, in the New England style, many singing-call squares could be thought of as quadrilles. Pretty much any sequence devised for a 64-count singing call can be prompted and danced in this fashion, without singing. Indeed older singing calls are a rich source of highly-danceable sequences for traditional-style squares, useable by those of us who don’t sing or don’t have an appropriate band handy for singing calls. Richard `` Richard Hopkins Middlebury, VT 850-544-7614 hopkin...@comcast.net ___ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
[Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ?
But we're all Dancing Masters - so I wasn't going to open that can of worms! :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs -Original Message- From: Amy Cann Sent: 24 February 2020 16:51 To: John Sweeney Cc: Contra Callers Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ? Wonderful post, with one quibble: you left out the best sentence! "The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” ;) On 2/24/20, John Sweeney via Contra Callers wrote: > For those who have asked about the style of the early quadrilles, > please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSD37PF2_Dw > > Thomas Wilson documented the standard stepping for country dances in > the early 19th century as being three chassées, jeté, assemblé. You > can see that being performed, complete with pointy toes, in this > video. In modern > terminology: three polka steps and a jump. Note: this is how ALL > country dances were done then! Don't believe what you see in Jane Austen > movies! > > Note also the arm shape for a hand turn. The smooth downward curve > was believed to look best, rather than the elbow-down-hand-up W shape > that we use now. > > Each sequence is only danced once by each pair of couples. But there > are many sequences. Very different from a modern dance with multiple > repetitions of one sequence. > > For lots more detail see the papers listed at > https://www.regencydances.org/paper000.php > > People have referenced quadrilles as being sometimes done in a sort of > Becket formation, by pairs of couples. As it says at > https://www.regencydances.org/paper011.php, "Most early Quadrilles > were not the 8 person Sets that arose in the 1810s (most notable > amongst which was the First Set), but rather a variation of the > Cotillion usually arranged for just four dancers." > > = = = = = = = = > > Colin referenced La Russe as having derived from a quadrille; indeed > when the EFDSS published it in 1948 it was titled "La Russe Quadrille": > http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS4806-LaRusse.html > > = = = = = = = = > > I think that we have to accept the fact that "Quadrille" has joined > the ranks of words such as Allemande, Swing and Dosido which all have > multiple different meanings depending on the country, century and dance genre. > > 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, > 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.' > > 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so > many different things.' > ... > 'When I make a word do a lot of work like that,' said Humpty Dumpty, > 'I always pay it extra.' > https://sabian.org/looking_glass6.php > > Happy dancing, >John > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 > 940 574 > http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent > http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs > > ___ > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to > contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net > ___ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
[Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ?
Wonderful post, with one quibble: you left out the best sentence! "The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” ;) On 2/24/20, John Sweeney via Contra Callers wrote: > For those who have asked about the style of the early quadrilles, please > see > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSD37PF2_Dw > > Thomas Wilson documented the standard stepping for country dances in the > early 19th century as being three chassées, jeté, assemblé. You can see > that being performed, complete with pointy toes, in this video. In modern > terminology: three polka steps and a jump. Note: this is how ALL country > dances were done then! Don't believe what you see in Jane Austen movies! > > Note also the arm shape for a hand turn. The smooth downward curve was > believed to look best, rather than the elbow-down-hand-up W shape that we > use now. > > Each sequence is only danced once by each pair of couples. But there are > many sequences. Very different from a modern dance with multiple > repetitions of one sequence. > > For lots more detail see the papers listed at > https://www.regencydances.org/paper000.php > > People have referenced quadrilles as being sometimes done in a sort of > Becket formation, by pairs of couples. As it says at > https://www.regencydances.org/paper011.php, "Most early Quadrilles were not > the 8 person Sets that arose in the 1810s (most notable amongst which was > the First Set), but rather a variation of the Cotillion usually arranged > for > just four dancers." > > = = = = = = = = > > Colin referenced La Russe as having derived from a quadrille; indeed when > the EFDSS published it in 1948 it was titled "La Russe Quadrille": > http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS4806-LaRusse.html > > = = = = = = = = > > I think that we have to accept the fact that "Quadrille" has joined the > ranks of words such as Allemande, Swing and Dosido which all have multiple > different meanings depending on the country, century and dance genre. > > 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it > means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.' > > 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many > different things.' > ... > 'When I make a word do a lot of work like that,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'I > always pay it extra.' > https://sabian.org/looking_glass6.php > > Happy dancing, > John > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 > 940 574 > http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent > http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs > > ___ > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net > ___ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
[Callers] Re: Totally open question: what's a "quadrille" ?
For those who have asked about the style of the early quadrilles, please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSD37PF2_Dw Thomas Wilson documented the standard stepping for country dances in the early 19th century as being three chassées, jeté, assemblé. You can see that being performed, complete with pointy toes, in this video. In modern terminology: three polka steps and a jump. Note: this is how ALL country dances were done then! Don't believe what you see in Jane Austen movies! Note also the arm shape for a hand turn. The smooth downward curve was believed to look best, rather than the elbow-down-hand-up W shape that we use now. Each sequence is only danced once by each pair of couples. But there are many sequences. Very different from a modern dance with multiple repetitions of one sequence. For lots more detail see the papers listed at https://www.regencydances.org/paper000.php People have referenced quadrilles as being sometimes done in a sort of Becket formation, by pairs of couples. As it says at https://www.regencydances.org/paper011.php, "Most early Quadrilles were not the 8 person Sets that arose in the 1810s (most notable amongst which was the First Set), but rather a variation of the Cotillion usually arranged for just four dancers." = = = = = = = = Colin referenced La Russe as having derived from a quadrille; indeed when the EFDSS published it in 1948 it was titled "La Russe Quadrille": http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS4806-LaRusse.html = = = = = = = = I think that we have to accept the fact that "Quadrille" has joined the ranks of words such as Allemande, Swing and Dosido which all have multiple different meanings depending on the country, century and dance genre. 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean neither more nor less.' 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.' ... 'When I make a word do a lot of work like that,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'I always pay it extra.' https://sabian.org/looking_glass6.php Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs ___ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
