| Citation |
GG(J.769.015
10 May 1769:11,12 (293)
The State Dancers.
A very partial writer, 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
annually, 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 performances [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 frumpted at others standing
above them. Not one woman was among them. L--d B--l, to
give him his due, had much the appearance of one, and footed
with a great deal of grace. At the first striking up of the
musick, 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 to the
best place he could. L--d C--m got to be first couple, then
they all fell back and changed sides. G--le set at him; C--
m turned his back and beckoned, the other followed; they
then join [?] 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--- was always falling into the
Cotillion step, thinking no body saw him, as he saw nobody.
L--- C--re made several feints to sit down, but always
continue one of the set, and and [??] never ceased shuffling
and looking at the musick, in order to keep in time. L-- B-
-l and L--- C--m changed places, and danced back to back.
But B--l and L--- G---- S----- had a particular manner of
setting to each other, which diverted me very much; whenever
B--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 those steps
which made one of them leave I----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 stage-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 bumbling 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-- 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 caprioles, 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 musick, prevented them, till at last
they all joined hands and danced round him in the manner of
country bunkin; all the musick 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. [signed] Sheellahnahgig.
In the name of wonder, how came our friend
Sheellahnahgig to leave so many of my good friends out of
his list of Political Dancers? particularly L--d E--t, and
Polonius, who though he is gone to France to learn a new
dance, shall have no other musick than mine. But it is
above all unpardonable in Sheellahnahgig to have left out my
old acquaintance, schoolfellow, and intimate friend, L--d R-
-d, who has so often danced to my pipe, both in Spain and
France, as well as in England, and is remarkably fond of
Scotch airs and reels; especially Stuart's Rant, and the old
lilt of John Pattersons's Mare goes Foremost, (lately
modernized) which I have adapted to the tunes, and picked
out for his L--d--p's own private use: who, though but an
indifferent scraper of catgut himself, yet has a tolerable
ear for the performances of others.
The D--e of G--n being the sole master of the
ceremonies, was set at by L--d R--d, with very great anxiety
for some considerable time; who finding his g--e inclined to
lead him to the left about, with one of his own shuffles,
and the side step, immediately bauled out, that unless his
place was changed in the set, he would directly call out for
a Corsican dance, or dance no longer to the D--e of G--n's
frolick, which put the whole company in great confusion,
particularly the person in the middle of the ring, who
frowned prodigiously, at the mention of a Corsican dance:
But upon the D--e of G--'s turning L--d R--d to another
side, the dance went on as before; only that L--d W--h went
out of his turn with all possible eagerness at the D--e of
B--d, though also out of his turn and dancing, and therefore
improper; upon which his g--e directly crossed over, figured
in right and left and led up to the top, and then insisted
that these l--ds should change sides. The person in the
middle upon this looked towards me for the nod of
approbation (though I was at no small distance) which I
immediately gave my usual way, by a hollow groan of my great
drones, and two or three grunts of my chanter, and then L--d
R--d went to the north side, and L--d W--h to the south; L-
-d S--e having totally lost the use of his legs.
L--d R--d being an odd man, and having no constant
partner, seemed to dance but very aukwardly, owing, I
suppose, to his passion for contre dances. In going down
the dance, however, his L--p set at old Polonius, and
shewing him some French steps, recommended a young pupil to
be taken in training. Polonius simpered a compliance; But
in a twinkling altering his mind, he shuffled to the left
about with a side step, and gave L--d R--d the slip, which
made his l--d--p look very morose, and swear that he would
never dance with old Polonius again. Some of the company
being fond of novelty, began to revive an enquiry after the
new dance imported from Corsica, as first mentioned by L--d
R--d; but his L--d--p, after changing sides, recanted
directly, and cried it down into disrepute; and then making
the signal to R--y to foot it stoutly to B--ke and B--: and
to shew them the figure led down (which he did so loud as to
be distinctly heard by the whole house) it was immediately
over-ruled and laid aside.
It was about this time of the ball that the D--e of G--
n, and the master of the ceremonies, began to look sulky,
and was in the dumps; and seeing so many shuffling their own
way, and not inclined to dance the figure he had given,
commanded B--w, his political p--p, to shut the subscription
books immediately, so to remain for several days, until he
should know the sense of twenty four city dancers, from whom
he had great expectations; and then, with an imperious and
arrogant tone of voice (which made poor B--w stare with a
doubtful panick, as if he had been at his old trade again of
vending prohibited goods) ordered this hireling subaltern to
snuff the candles, clear the passages, shew the company down
stairs, and him to the stool room. [signed] The Master Piper
of Wales.
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