Leaflets of the ball room. Being a sketch of the polka quadrilles ... (1847) WALTZ COTILLION FIGURE 4 * 3 * 32-bar waltzes = 12 times through a fairly gentle waltz. . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Places the same as a quadrille; [heads are 1 and 2, sides are 3 and 4] 1-8: top couple waltz around inside. 1-4: First and second ladies waltz up to each other and cross over, turning twice; 5-8: the gentlemen of the top couples do the same 1-4: Side women the same 5-8: Side men the same 1-4: The first couples [closed] waltz to places: 5-8: the side couples do the same; 1-4: Partners take right hands; all [open] waltz, (four bars) 5-8; and men turn their partners under their arms; (Same with the next right hand lady, 3 times more until all are home) 1-4: Form two lines at the sides, all advance twice (ie two steps) and cross over, 5-8: advance again and recross, and to places; 1-8: all eight (closed) waltz round: 1-4: Form two lines at the heads, as above. the whole repeated four times. [Alan: When you form lines at the sides, the sides keep their partners, the heads split to the nearest sides. At the heads, the heads keep their partners, the sides split to the nearest heads.] ------------------- I'm planning on leading the dance Waltz Cotillion next month. It is on page 95 in The Fashionable Dancer's Casket by Durang. Here is my interpretation of the dance. I've arranged it to be done to 3 times through a 32 bar waltz. ----- Waltz Cotillion Formation: four couples in a square A1 Active couple waltz around the inside of the set to place (1-8). A2 Head ladies cross over (1-4), Head gents cross over (5-8). B1 Side ladies cross over (1-4), Side gents cross over (5-8). B2 Head couples waltz around inside of the set back to place (1-4), Side couples the same (5-8). AABB Grand chain. (All take right hands with partner, balance forward (1), and back (2) and trade places turning the ladies under (3-4). Repeat this with each subsequent dancer all around the set.) A1 Sides separate joining the heads to form lines at the heads. Lines forward (1) and back (2). Repeat (3-4). Cross over (5-8). A2 Repeat A1 to place. B1&2 All four couples waltz around the set to places. Repeat for each couple. When the side couples are active the lines form at the sides. ----- The only real changes I have made are that in the first part where the head ladies cross over, followed by the head gents and then the side ladies and gents, he specifies 8 bars for each crossing over. This seems excessive to me, especially since he only allows 4 bars for the couples to cross back. Also if those crosses were 8 bars each the dance would be 14 8 bar parts long, although he doesn't specify how long the couples have to waltz around to place at the end. So I assumed 16 bars to waltz around at the end, since 8 bars were allotted for waltzing around the inside at the beginning, and shortened the crossing to 4 bars to make the whole dance come out to 12 parts to fit with 3 times through a 32 bar tune. Am I overlooking something? Any other thoughts on this dance? Also if anyone has a suggestion for a nice mid-1800's waltz that would go well with this dance let me know. Thanks. Jonathan ----- Jonathan Sivier Beckman Institute Flight Simulation Lab jsivier AT uiuc DOT edu Home Page: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jsivier/www/ ----- Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? A: It depends on what dance you call. Michael McGuire wrote: > I don't know if it is the dance you are looking for but there is a fairly well know Irish set/ceili dance called the Waltz Cotillion. It is available at Larry Taylor's excellent Irish dance site. > > http://www.personal.kent.edu/~ltaylor1/waltz%20cotillion.htm This can also be found in some of the dance instruction manuals from the mid-1800's. It is basically the same dance. I gleaned my version from Durang's The Fashionable Dancer’s Casket (1856). The figure takes 96 bars. This could be either 3 times through a typical 32 bar waltz tune or there is a tune called Waltz Cotillion with 3 16 bar parts. When played AABBCC this results in 96 bars. It's a nice dance and not too challenging so it can be easily done by people with some dance experience. Here are my notes on the dance. The timing is marked for 3 times through a 32 bar tune. You can easily adjust this if you have a band to play the 96 bar tune. Waltz Cotillion Formation: four couples in a square Music: Waltz Cotillion or any 32 bar waltz played 3 times through for 96 bars Source: Durang (1856) A1 Active couple waltz around the inside of the set to place (1-8). A2 Head ladies cross over (1-4), Head gents cross over (5-8). B1 Side ladies cross over (1-4), Side gents cross over (5-8). B2 Head couples waltz around inside of the set back to place (1-4), Side couples the same (5-8). (Waltz around the inside of the set in a counterclockwise direction.) AABB Grand chain. (All take right hands with partner, balance forward (1), and back (2) and trade places turning the ladies under (3-4). Repeat this with each subsequent dancer all around the set.) A1 Sides separate joining the heads to form lines at the heads. Lines forward (1) and back (2), repeat (3-4), Cross over (5-8). A2 Repeat A1 to place. B1&2 All four couples waltz around the set to places. Notes: Repeat for each couple. When the side couples are active the lines form at the sides. The couples at the ends of the lines, the side couples when the heads are active or the head couples when the sides are active, need to anticipate that they will be separating and forming the lines. Also when one of the side couples is active I like to let the side ladies and gents cross over and the side couples return to home before the head couples. Jonathan ----- Jonathan Sivier Beckman Institute Flight Simulation Lab jsivier AT illinois DOT edu Home Page: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jsivier/www/ ----- Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? A: It depends on what dance you call. ------------------------------------ The Traditional Dance Callers List: Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail message (no subject, no message) to: trad-dance-callers-subscribe@yahoogroups.comYahoo! 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