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The development of court dances
Learn the history of dances the Quadrille
The Qaudrille
-- The Quadrille or "Quadrille de Contre Danse" was originally a card game for four people but the name was given to this dance about 1740. The dance probably derived from the Cotillions of the time. The Quadrille was a very lively dance, unlike the Minuet.
-- Quadrilles were first introduced in France, about the year 1760. They were then performed by two couples, as the figures first used in the French quadrilles only required four persons. At a later period, two couples were added to form the sides, and these simply repeated the figures while the first couples rested.
-- The Quadrille was introduced to England by a Miss Berry to the Duke of Devonshire in 1808 and made fashionable by 1813. By 1815, Lady Jersey and Lady Castlereagh as well as others brought it from Paris and danced it at Almack's in 1815. The first night on which it was danced, Lady Jersey, Lady Harriet Butler, Lady Susan Ryder, and Miss Montgomery, with Count Aldegarde, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Harley, and Mr. Montague for their partners. The Quadrille was finally taught to the upper classes around 1816.
-- Originally there were only three kinds of quadrilles, those now known as
the plain quadrille, the Lancers and the Caledonians, but as society seemed to
tire of these dances, the dancing masters hit upon the plan of introducing the
Waltz into the "Square dance", and produced a new quadrille by
altering the old figures to meet the requirements of the added element. The
Lancers were new figures that were added to the Quadrilles around 1820 (the
Caledonians were ORIGINALLY more popular). These dances were two of the main
dances danced during this period.
-- The Quadrille (translated) means technically, to assemble four or more ladies and the same number of gentlemen to make a "Set." The head couple generally faced the stage or the entrance of the hall. The order of dance was a hierarchy system. The Contra dance (French) translated literally meant "Opposite Dance" or "Country dance," with two couples making up the "Set," the first being the Francais Quadrille (actually any number may dance, but there are "ideal" sets). They still had the Quadrille-Croisé: two Quadrilles placed in two different ways, acting in the same time, executing together figures which did not differ from those of the simple Quadrille.
-- Step names consisted of Le Pantlon (the English), L'Eté (Avante-deux) L Poul, La Tremsie and Le Final. The Finale was danced either with the chassé-croisé and the Enavant, or with the Boulangère, the Corbeille, the Moulinet, the Saint-Simonienne or the Gallop.
n The Passe-passe was a charming Quadrille; it was danced by four couples, one of which conducts it. The five figures were called: Passe-passe, Passera, Petit-menuet, Chaîine de fleurs, Tour du monde in sixteen measures it finished in the Tunnels, Grand final would be the gallop. The Dance was usually ended by a Galop (Polka) as well as there being Galop Quadrilles, Schottische quadrilles etc. done by four couples. There were MANY QUADRILLE DANCES such as the "Parisian Quadrilles" done in the United States as well as a "New Quadrille" which was introduced by Eugene Coulon in 1846. The Empire Quadrille was adopted by the Congress of Dancing Masters in 1858 and by the great dancing masters Cellarius, Laborde, Coralli, Coulon (Coulons Quadrille or Double Quadrille) in Paris and London.
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