Susan reports:
Adding my two cents (or is it two steps?) into Loretta’s minuet discussion. . . .
As Loretta said, we were fortunate enough to attend a “ball” at the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg during our visit last fall. We also spoke with one of the authorities on 18th century dance, too, who not only answered all our Nerdy Girl questions, but demonstrated the various steps and dances as well. No, she didn’t wear John Travolta’s patent-leather platform oxfords, but she did dance in a beautiful replica pair of brocade shoes. Those are her feet, above left, after we asked her to raise her petticoats indelicately for our cameras.
Also, Vanessa mentioned reading about Beau Nash dancing a minuet with his partner while everyone else watched. This was quite true, alarming though it seems to the klutzs among us. A formal ball opened with a minuet, danced by the highest ranking lady and gentleman present. It was a showy, complicated dance with no place to hide, which explains why practice and instruction from dancing masters was so important. Who wants to screw up that publicly? There's good reason that minuets were danced at the beginning of the evening before the “strong waters” started flowing and clumsiness followed. 
Unable to follow Loretta’s minuet chart from yesterday? Here’s an excellent video of a most accomplished couple in period dress, and though they’re performing before a group of tourists in an art museum, their talent show why the minuet was such a popular display of grace and refinement.
And also why most people at a ball couldn’t wait for the cheerful, forgiving mayhem of the country dances to begin later in the evening (such as the ball sketched by William Hogarth, right, in 1744.)
No comments:
Post a Comment