| Citation |
BC.769.042
16-20 Mar 1769:891,892 (76)
The State Dancers, in answer to Quidnunc. (See Boston
Chronicle, vol. II, page 73.)
A very partial writer, named Quidnunc, who seems to me
but a bad judge of the talents of state dancers, has lately
given a very unsatisfactory account of a dance that has been
performed annualy, before the meeting of P---t, for many
years past, much to the amusement, but I am sorry to say,
not much to the advantage of the publick; I therefore will
write a more full detail of it; for although I have learned
from Denoyer, and was thought no bad dancer in my time, I
could hardly make out the figure. The performers were the
usual set at St. James's. All of them did not dance at the
same time, some pretending to be tired, sat down; but the
real reason was, they were frumped at others standing above
them. Not one woman was among them. L--d B--f--l, to give
him his due, had much the appearance of one, and suited with
a great deal of grace. At the first striking up of the
music, they were all in confusion; but upon one of the
dancers (whose name I could not learn, who danced in the
middle, without having any particular partner, and whom they
all seemed to flatter) holding up his hand, they all came to
the right-about, and every man endeavoured to get the best
place he could. L--d C--m got to be first couple, then they
all fell back and changed sides. G--r--v--lle set at him;
C--m turned his back and beckoned, the other followed; they
then joined hands, shuffled, and led up the middle; than set
at L--- R--m, but disappointed him; they served L-- S--ne
the same; upon which B--ke and B--re went down last couple,
then set to L--- T--le, turned him, and danced the "Hayes."
The D-- of B---d was always falling into the Cotillon step,
thinking nobody saw him, as he saw nobody. L--- C--re made
several feints to sit down, but always continued one of the
set, and never ceased shuffling and looking at the music, in
order to keep in time. L-- B--f--l and L--- C--m changed
places, and danced back to back. But B--f--l and L--- G---e
S----le had a particular manner of setting to each other,
which diverted me very much; whenever B--f--l turned his
back, G--le set at him with the wriggle-step, who then
turned his back, and was set at by the other in some step he
learned at Turin; upon which an Irish gentleman, who stood
by me, remarked that it was these steps which made one of
them leave I--l---d, and prevented the other from going
there, as all the world knows the method of dancing at the
castle of D--n is face to face--. L--- C--m danced like a
state-dancer, very high, and kicked about his heels very
much; complained often of his head, but as often recovered,
and made several cuts, to the astonishment of the company.
L-- T--le did better than one should have imagined, from his
aukward shambling manner, but was apt to put the rest out,
by insisting to dance a Figure of his own. L-- S--ne danced
a step called the Jesuit's shuffle; you could never discern
upon which leg he stood, or how he kept himself in, or up,
except now and then that he supported himself in these
equivocal entrechats on the shoulders of his friend I--c.
R--y always kept the places of two people, declaring he
neither could nor would dance if he had not elbow room. L--
H--d and L-- H--F--d made no great figure in the dance; I
only observed that they employed themselves in taking
handkerchiefs, or what they could get out of the other
dancers pockets, I suppose out of joke, and it being
Saturday night, they would not dance after twelve o'clock.
C--y thought he was doing wonders while he busied himself in
his little fiddle faddle step, which meant nothing, and
neither moved himself or others. L-- R---n danced the old
English steps, with now and then a Yorkshire shuffle; B--ke
endeavoured often to teach him better, but dancing is not
his talent; B--re was the dog in the dancing school; he was
not used to so good company, and seeing L--d S--n set at
and baulked, he was once in his life confounded, and did not
know which way to turn. H---on gave a few most
astonishingly finished cabrioles, but could not be prevailed
on to give any more, although he was encored by the company,
who knew he had more in him if he would let it out. As to
the rest they were no better than chairs or corner-
cupboards, and the D--e of G--n took sulk and sat down; The
person whose name I could not find out, they all in their
turns endeavoured to dance round; but he, by keeping the
exact time with the music, prevented them, till at last they
all joined hands and danced round him in the manner of
Country Bumkin; all the music this brilliant company was put
in motion by, was a Scotch piper, placed under a canopy, who
played whatever tune he pleased, and made them dance to it;
Although G--lle often called for Yanky Doodle, it was
observed that when the person in the middle turned his back,
or was inattentive, the piper always squeaked, "Over the
Water to Charley." I asked at the door, who paid the musick,
and a well looking man, sighing, answered the publick paid
the piper. Adieu, Mr. Baldwin [printed of the St. James's
Chronicle]; as this is the season for cutting capers, I hope
this will not be unentertaining to your readers. I am, Sir,
your's &c. [signed] Shellahnagig.
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