{"id":12381,"date":"2019-08-10T15:52:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T15:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/?post_type=kbe_knowledgebase&p=12381"},"modified":"2019-08-10T15:52:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-10T15:52:10","slug":"dancing-at-balls-and-assemblies","status":"publish","type":"kbe_knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/?kbe_knowledgebase=dancing-at-balls-and-assemblies","title":{"rendered":"Dancing at Balls and Assemblies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thomas Wilson, the\nfamous Dance Master at the Kings Opera House, London, in his 1812 edition of The Complete System of English\nCountry Dancing containing all the Figures Ever Used in English Country Dancing\netc <\/em>in the chapter entitled The Etiquette of the Ballroom<\/em> give details of how dances were\nchosen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his experience, they were chosen , or “called” by the ladies (sometimes in consultation with their partners) attending a ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To render\nthis chapter of more general utility, some directions will be given for\nregulating the calls and a correct and graceful performance of all species of\ndancing as now generally introduced\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nrequisite here to observe, that in the following sketch, the minutiae of the\nduties of the conductor or of the Company comprising a ball have not been\nentered into, nor are any of the bye-laws and rules belonging to any private or\nparticular Assembly given, being confined only to the etiquette of such public\nand private Balls where the persons composing the company take their places in\naccordance to their number. At Court and some other select balls and Assemblies\nplaces are taken according to precedence\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On entering\ninto the ball room each Lady intending to dance must be presented by the Master\nof Ceremonies with a ticket, on which is inscribed the number of her call( in\nsome companies it is sometimes found convenient to give numbers to Gentlemen\ninstead of the Lady: this seldom occurs in fashionable parties) according to\nwhich they afterwards take their places in the Dance. The first lady is\nentitled to Number 1, the second to number 2 and so on. These numbers should be\nplaced in a conspicuous place and remain there till the Dancing is finished, to\nprevent any misunderstanding respecting situations in the Dance; for no one can\nclaim a place without displaying their ticket\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the\nBall has opened( should there be an opening dance) it is the duty of the Master\nof Ceremonies to call up and place the company in couples according to their\nnumbers , beginning with No.1 at the top, No. 2 next and so on in succession\ntill all the numbers that were given out are called up; that is, to the highest\nnumber, which will be placed at the bottom of the set.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any Lady or\nGentleman altering their number or not producing it when called for must stand\nat the bottom of the Dance or Set they belong to.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No couple\nought to refuse to stand up directly the Dance is called as it shews great\ndisrespect to the Lady who calls it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should any\nlady lose her number on application to the Master of Ceremonies she should be\nfurnished with another according to which she must take her place in the Dance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ladies and\nGentlemen without partners should apply to the Master of Ceremonies whose place\nit is if possible to provide them<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any couple\nwishing to retire early should deliver their number to the Master of Ceremonies\nthat he may know such a couple is absent when the numbers are called up<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple\nabout to call the Dance should inform the Master of Ceremonies of the Tune and\nFigure that he may give directions to the different Sets( if more than one) and\ndirect the band accordingly; the tune should be played once over before the\nDance commences.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Master\nof Ceremonies can object to any call that affords a reasonable ground of\ncomplaint, such as length or difficulty of Figure; but the couple whose call is\nrejected, have the liberty of calling another Dance less objectionable, and\nmore suitable to the ability of the company<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should any\ncouple after calling a Dance find themselves incapable of performing it, they\nmay call another; but if the same difficulty occurs in the second call the\nMaster of the Ceremonies may transfer the call to the next couple and place the\ncouple so failing at the bottom of the Set.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a dance\nis finished the Master of the Ceremonies should give the signal to the leader\nof the band to leave off, to prevent any unnecessary noise or clapping of\nhands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No person\nshould leave the room or even sit down before the Dance is finished unless on\nsome very particular occasion; and not then without first informing the Master\nof Ceremonies<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No person\nshould leave the room immediately after they have had their call, without the\nDancing is conclude for the evening as it evinces great disrespect to the\nCompany.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Dance\nought to be performed twice the same evening.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such persons\nas may dislike any dance that is called instead of interrupting the performance\nor endeavouring by any means to have the same altered should retire to their\nseats.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No person is\nentitled to two calls the same evening( unless in their turn with the others)\nwithout the permission of the Master of Ceremonies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a dance\nis called no person is allowed to change or alter the Figure in any manner\nwhatever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should any\nLady after calling a dance, which is not objectionable to the Master of\nCeremonies, find it too difficult for the company, she may be permitted to\nchange it for one less difficult; but not to lead off again form the top\nwithout permission of the master of Ceremonies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the\nBall commences the company should not leave their places or rest till after the\nsecond Dance. Should the Sets be short they may Dance three dances before they\nrest. During the remainder of the evening it is the business of the Master of\nCeremonies t direct the company as to the proper time for retiring<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pages\n260-9,as above. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thomas Wilson, the famous Dance Master at the Kings Opera House, London, in his 1812 edition of The Complete System of English Country Dancing containing all the Figures Ever Used in English Country Dancing etc in the chapter entitled The Etiquette of the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","kbe_taxonomy":[256,268],"kbe_tags":[480,479,313],"class_list":["post-12381","kbe_knowledgebase","type-kbe_knowledgebase","status-publish","hentry","kbe_taxonomy-arts-leisure","kbe_taxonomy-pride-prejudice","kbe_tags-assemblies","kbe_tags-balls","kbe_tags-dance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/kbe_knowledgebase\/12381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/kbe_knowledgebase"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/kbe_knowledgebase"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12381"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/kbe_knowledgebase\/12381\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12382,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/kbe_knowledgebase\/12381\/revisions\/12382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kbe_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fkbe_taxonomy&post=12381"},{"taxonomy":"kbe_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pemberley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fkbe_tags&post=12381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}