Dances of Russian balls in the 19th century (materials for the Second Conference on 13th to 20th Century European Dance Reconstruction [2009]) by Maria Dmitrieva. Translate by Maria Dmitrieva, correction by Tom Wellings.
The quantity and succession of dances during Russian balls depended on the type of ball. Dances at court balls were the polonaise, waltz, quadrille and mazurka. Dances at private balls were more varied. The dramatic concept of a ball was developed from the ceremonial polonaise to the merry cotillion.
Some dances arose and then disappeared – they were popular in some periods of the 19th century and then were forgotten; some dances changed in their diagrams and technique. Dancing masters usually had their own dances.
Polonaise
The polonaise (known also as the Polish dance) was known from the 18th century in Russia and was always the first dance at court balls. In the second part of the 19th century the polonaise started merchant balls, children's balls, and weddings.
In first couple of polonaise was master of ceremonies with his lady, or master of the house with the most honourable lady (the lady of the house with the most honourable gentleman followed as the second couple). Up to the mid 19th century in the first couple of polonaise was the emperor with the senior lady (or the lady who the emperor wanted to honour); in the second couple was the empress with the grand duke (or the guest of honour); next, couples followed under the terms of rank and social etiquette. In private balls during the first couple of polonaise was the emperor with the lady of the house, the empress with the master of the house were in second couple. In the second part of the 19th century the emperor and empress could be in the first couple of polonaise.
Sometimes the polonaise was prolonged and couples could join the dance. Figures of polonaise could indicate master of ceremonies or first couple. Early in the 19th century, the polonaise had different figures and during the century the dance was simplified and it looked like a ceremonial saunter. The polonaise included up to three rounds and in every round the gentleman danced with another lady. Seldom was the polonaise held before dinner and in that case couples one after another moved in to dining room.
Couples of polonaise could move from one hall to other rooms of house. Deserving a mention is the custom of “Carrying off a lady” especially popular in balls of Moscow: gentleman who were without a lady for a couple ran up to the first couple and having clapped one's hands, took the lady of the first couple; the gentleman of the first couple moved to the lady of the second couple, the gentleman of the second couple moved to the lady of the third couple and so on; thereby the gentleman of the last couple was without his lady and he could leave the polonaise or he could move to the first couple and the process would be repeated all over again.
Waltz
The most romantic and breathtaking, the waltz was the second dance of ball; also it could be first dance of private balls. It is believed the waltz appeared at the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century a waltz wasa favourite dance by many people.
Fascinating, capable woken sweet dreams, something between coquetry and passion, between childish play and deep breath, a waltz was considered free and indecent for a long time, it created an opportune moment for a declaration of love; and touching hands allowed the giving of love letters.
A waltz lasted a long time and rapidly in Russia, a couple waltzed usually 2-3 rounds; couples could leave a waltz before termination of the music or they could join the dance at any time sounding of a waltz.
A waltz had some varieties. The most widespread were the German waltz in three steps and the slippy French waltz in two steps. Also danced were the Viennese waltz and the waltz in five steps. At the end of the 19th century appeared the waltz-galop, and the waltz-minuet.
Quadrille
In the first third of the 19th century the quadrille was one of the most popular dances at balls; the dance spread on a large scale in the 1830s, often the quadrille was danced some times at a ball.
In the first part of the 19th century the quadrille included 5 figures and the dance required technical mastery: a dancer had to perform pas with deftness and gracefulness thereby with dignity danced quadrille for public approval.
An evolution of the quadrille took place during the 19th century and by the end of the century there were changes: couples danced in line (earlier they had danced in squares), the quadrille included 6 figures, and technical mastery was simplified. The quadrille (with measured treads) was a relaxation between breathtaking dances (polkas and waltzes).
Polka
The Czech dance was very popular in aristocratic circles in early years of the 1840s. Temporarily the polka eclipsed even the waltz. Simultaneously only some couples danced polka for avoidanceof collisions and every couple could show ones mastery.
The dance originally included permanent figures but during the end of the 19th century the figures of polka were simpler or disappeared all together; new versions and hybrids of the polka arose, for example the polka-galop, the polka-mazurka, and the polka-tremblante.
Mazurka
The dance had great success in the 1810s. A swift mazurka with a fast pace and complicated pas was the culmination of a ball and usually was last dance before dinner.
The main part of a mazurka belonged to the gentleman – he chosen the figures and moves, and the lady submitted to him. Every participant showed resourcefulness and improvisation by own taking into account total plan of the dance.
The Bravura or Krakow style of mazurka – typical for provincial balls – had sweeping and free implementation. Gentlemen showed power, resolution and courtliness, they charmed and won their ladies, and ladies shown their delicacy.
The aristocratic mazurka was refined, gradual and calm; dance masters accepted this type of the dance as the sole true version. French manners of mazurka gave way to the English type with languishing and inactive movements of gentlemen – it was connected with the spread of dandyism.
The Mazurka lasted a long time: when some couples were performing figures of dance other couples looked at them and engaged in polite conversation – well-known as ‘mazurka chatter’. Couples could miss figures of the dance. Talks in during mazurka made possible for communication between ladies and gentlemen, it was of great importance and given chance for declaration of love.The mazurka included figures with chosen dance-partners; preference for someone could be seen as a sign of special favor.
The mazurka supplanted the cotillion and ‘quadrille-monster’during the end of 19th century. In due course, variants of the mazurka as waltz-mazurka and quadrille-mazurka were created.
Cotillion
The cotillion was a game-dance and usually the dance was in the end of ball. The cotillion included much figures with elements most widespread and popular dances – the waltz, mazurka, and polka.
Gentleman invited thoroughly familiar lady at cotillion (at mazurka also).The start of the cotillion was with a waltz round bythe master of ceremonies and his lady; all couples followed behind them and when the last couple returned to his place the cotillion continued with different figures, usually from easy to difficult figures. Dance masters invented newer and newer figures of cotillion with used any items (chairs, fans, flowers, hats and etc) or cotillion accessories (flags, firecrackers, balls, paper snowballs...).
Advice given to young ladies was to control oneself.
The cotillion was danced in private balls, representatives of tsarist family and noble people usually left the ball after dinner and they did not take part in the noisy and hours-long cotillion.
The polonaise, waltz, quadrille, polka, and mazurka were the main dances at Russian balls, in so doing were other dances. The galop was playful and light-hearted and this dance could complete a cotillion or a ball. The first part of the 19th century saw the spread of the matredur, grossvate, anglaise, écossaise, tempête, krakowiak, a la Greque, Russian quadrille, English quadrille, quadrilles on the subjects ballets and operas. During the mid 19th century appeared the Les Lancier, the dance with different variations of figures – it created confusion at balls. Pas de quatre, pas de grace, Hungarian dance, waltz mignon, la chaconne and etc. dances of the end of 19th century and early of the 20th century.
Solo dances
This type of dance was performed by one or some dancers. In the first third of the 19th century danced Tyrolean waltz, kazachok, tamburino, matelote, minuet, gavotte, fandango...
During the 19th century mentioned two solo dances – the Russian dance and the Pas de chale. The Pas de chale appeared in early 1800s and the dance was performed with a light scarf with an elegant draped therefore gracefulness of hands were important. Usually 1-3 ladies took part in the Pas de chale, they displayed beautiful groups and figures to the music of ballet, also they assumed the shape of figures of dance, tossed up a scarf and caught it, put it on their head, twisted it round their waist and so on. Pas de chale was group dance into Institutes for Noble Maiden.
As one aphorism of the 19th century had it: 'The Quadrille is for sanguine people, the galop is for those of an irritable nature, the waltz is for choleric people, and the polka is for nervous and passionate people'.
