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Regency Dance Lessons
The Most Generally Known
Figures of Quadrilles
The Figure Called Le Pantalon.
Chaîne Anglaise.
1.__ The chaîne Anglaise is performed by two gentlemen and two ladies, opposite; they advance to change places, and, in passing each other, they present the right hand; each gentleman, after giving his right hand to his partner, who faces him, leaving her hand, he turns behind her, then gives his left to that of his partner, who is taking the place of the other lady; and all are again placed beside each other; each leaving hands, upon resuming their places. This figure, which is but thedemi-chaîne, or half chaîne Anglaise, when repeated immediately on each resuming their places, is then called thechaîne entière, or wholechaîne Anglaise,as here performed: it requires the time of eight bars.
Balance.
2.__ Each gentleman turning and facing his partner,they set during four bars.
Un Tour de Deux Mains.
3.__ Immediately after having set, each couple take both hands, and turn round at their places; in regaining which, they leave go hands: this is performed in four bars.
La Chaîne des Dames.
4.__ The two opposite ladies change places, and in passing give the right hand; afterwards, they give the left hand to the gentlemen who are remaining in their places. Each gentleman, immediately upon his partner's moving off to perform thechaîne, must go off to the right, at the same time presenting his left hand to the lady, who is entering the place of her partner; he must then turn upon his left to regain his place, where, having arrived, he leaves the hand of his partner. This figure, which is done during the time of four bars, is repeated also, to form the whole chaîne Anglaise,which then requires eight bars, before each lady resumes her place.
La Demi-Queue du Chat.
5.__ Each person of two couple presents the left hand, and goes off obliquely to the right, in order to change places;on arriving at each other's place, they leave go hands: this requires four bars.
6.__ To regain their places, the two gentlemen and their partners perform the demi-chaîne Anglaise. &emdash;(See No.1.) The remaining couple do the same.
The Figure called L'Eté.
1.__ A gentleman and opposite lady advance and retire backwards, or en avantdeux, during four bars.
2.__ The same lady and gentleman cross and change places, passing from the right to the right, during four bars.
3.__ The gentleman and lady go off each on the right side, and immediately return to the left, during four bars.
4.__ The gentleman and lady re-crossing, regain their places, during the time of four bars.
5.__ The gentleman then sets to his partner, and his partner to him. (See the Pantalon, No. 2.)
6.__ Each couple makes the tour de main, as at No.3 of the Pantalon, the remaining six doing the same.
In this figure called l'Eté, after having performed the en avantdeux, and gone off right and left, there is no more setting at the end. Custom alone has introduced the setting, which is intended only for that couple who have danced the figure among the rest; they then begin setting at the same time that the ladies of one couple, and the gentlemen of the other, commence crossing to regain their places, finishing equally at the same time, during four bars, after which follows the tourde main.
The Figure Called La Poule.
1.__ The opposite lady and gentleman cross and give the right hand, during four bars.
2.__ The same couple cross again, presenting then the left hand, which they continue to hold across the dance, remaining at the side during four bars.
3.__ The gentleman and lady still holding the left hand, now present each other the right and set four in a-line, during four bars.
4.__ The demi-queue duchat (see the Pantalon.)
5.__ The opposite gentleman and lady advance and retire backwards, during four bars.
6.__ The same gentleman and lady then perform the dos-a-dos, turning each other until they arrive at the place from which they set out: this requires four bars.
7.__ Four advance and retire, similar to the en avant deux.
8.__ The same four dance the demi-chaîne Anglaise, to regain their places. (See the Pantalon.)The remaining couple do the same.
The Figure Called Trénis.
1.__ A gentleman and his partner present hands, then advance and retire twice, leaving hands at the second time; the lady going off, places herself to the left of the gentleman opposite, returns or retires backward: this requires eight bars.
2.__ A gentleman crosses between two ladies, being then in a line, and crossing at the same time right before them, they change with each other at the extremity, to make a repetition of the crossing, together with the gentleman, and thus all three regain their places: this requires the space of eight bars.
3.__ Set four. (See Pantalon.)
4.__ Two gentlemen with their partners perform the tour de main. (See Pantalon.) The remaining couples do the same.
The Figure Called Pastorelle.
1.__ A gentleman and his partner present hands and advance twice, as in the Trénis; the lady then goes and places herself on the left of the opposite gentleman; which requires eight bars.
2.__ The opposite gentleman, who is then between two ladies, gives a hand to each of them, and all three advance twice and retire, during eight bars.
3.__ The remaining gentleman, who is left alone, then advances in his turn twice also, during eight bars.
4.__ The same gentleman with the one opposite, and the two ladies by their side, advance and present hands to perform the hands half-round, until each is opposite to his own place, with his partner beside him: this is done in four bars.
5.__ The same four do the half or demi-chaîne Anglaise,to regain their places. (See Pantalon.) The remaining couple do the same.
The Finale.
1.__ The two opposite gentlemen, each with his partner, perform a chassé-croisé; the gentleman dances achassé while passing to the right, behind the lady; who at the same time performs a chassé on the left, while passing before him; afterwards they do the demi-balancé, or, half-setting, in the space of four bars.
2.__ The same two gentlemen and their partners perform the chassé-croisé back again; the gentleman on the left while repassing behind his lady; and the lady on the right while repassing before the gentleman; when regaining their places, they perform the demi-balancé, or, half-setting; during four bars.
3.__ En avantdeux, or, opposite gentleman and lady. (Seefigure of l'Eté.)
4.__ The same couple cross.
5.__ They then go off to the right and left.
6.__ The gentleman and lady re-cross to their places.
7.__ The two opposite gentlemen set to their partners. (See Pantalon.)
8.__ They then execute the tour de main.
9.__ The two ladies execute the chaîne.
10.__ The demi-queue duchat. (See the above figure.)
11.__ The half, or demi-chaîneAnglaise. The remaining six do the same; and to conclude, the whole eight dance the chassé, similar to the chassé-croisé of four. (See preceding.)
Remarks on the Finale.
The ladies frequently, in this figure, substituted the moulinet for thechaîne desdames; presenting their right hand, they go round in the middle of the dance during four bars; then relinquishing the right hand, they gave the left, and performed the moulinet back again.The ladies then, without disengaging the left, gave each the right hand to her partner, and all set during four bars. Each gentleman and his partner then executed the tour demain, while re-entering their places.
The tems figuré was formerly executed on the right, or at the side, when each gentleman and lady present went off, to place themselves before the couple who were on the right, in order to do the half-setting, or, demi-balancé; they then formed what is called the open chassé, until they appeared in two lines, each gentleman finding himself then opposite his partner; the whole eight then advanced and retired, each gentleman met his partner and performed the tour de main, until arrived at his place. This figure is no longer practiced, inconsequence of the confusion which dancers experience, who now perform Quadrilles or Contre-dances with numbers exceeding eight.
The Figure Called Des Graces.
1.__ A gentleman with his partner present right hands, at the same time the gentleman gives his left to the lady who dances on his left, and the two ladies present each her hand to the other behind the gentleman at the waist, all three then advance, and retire twice during eight bars.
2.__ The gentleman retires behind, stooping to pass under the ladies' arms, who are holding hands; the gentleman then,immediately rising, causes the two ladies to pass and turn under each of his arms, at the same time giving a salute, while the two ladies courtesy upon the pointd'orgue, or at the pause, during four bars.
3.__ A gentleman and two ladies dance hands three round and back again, returning to the same position from which they began: this requires four bars.
It is against the principles of dancing when persons perform this figure with two gentlemen and one lady. For since it is derived from the allemand of three, there should be two ladies and one gentleman; first, because it is more elegant, and secondly, because in executing the passe, (going underarms) ladies, who are generally not so tall as gentlemen, find it difficult to lift their arms to a sufficient height.
References:
The Code of Terpsichore, by Carlo Blasis, 1828
Published in English in 1828
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