By far the most common sequence variations to be found in quadrille manuals of the early nineteenth century are those for setting, forward and back, chassez-dechassez, and crossing over. But a few manuals give sequences for more elaborate figures such as chassé-croisé, in which two dancers, side by side, change places and back. There are quite a few ways to perform the figure, but the most common is probably that danced with one's partner in eight bars as follows:
2b Change places, gentlemen passing behind ladies
2b Set
2b Change back, gentlemen again passing behind ladies
2b Set
This can be performed just by two couples (heads or sides) or by all four at once, as in the classic Finale figure of the first set of French quadrilles.
No instruction seems to ever be given about where the dancers face during the setting segments, so we are left to speculate. The first two bars move the dancers to the corners of the set; if all eight dancers are performing the figure at once, they will meet another dancer there and the two bars of setting will naturally tend to be addressed to that dancer. If only four dancers are moving, the setting may be directed toward the one's opposite across the set, or possibly back towards one's partner. On the second half of the figure, the dancers first return to places and then set, again with the option of setting to one's partner or side by side facing one's opposite. I'm reluctant to make any grand pronouncements about this in the absence of any firm evidence, but in practice I tend to set to the corner dancer if available and otherwise to my opposite.
My favored sequence for this is given in Alexander Strathy's Elements of the Art of Dancing (Edinburgh, 1822). Strathy borrows liberally from French quadrille manuals, but his chassé-croisé sequence may be his own. I'll give the sequence first, then some notes on the steps. Note that the gentlemen's and ladies' sequences differ slightly above and beyond the reversal of direction of travel!
Gentlemen
1b Chassé sideways to the right, passing behind partner
1b Jeté left before, assemblé right before
1b Sissone left behind, assemblé left before
1b Sissone right behind, jeté right before
1b Glissade dessous (closing behind) to the left twice
1b Jeté left before, assemblé right before
1b Sissone left behind, assemblé left before
1b Sissone right behind, assemblé right before
Let's look at the pieces one by one.
The first two bars are a simple chassé-jeté-assemblé sequence performed sideways to travel to the right behind the lady. The second two bars are the setting, which is a sissone-assemblé sequence performed twice, modified to end with a jeté instead, which sets the dancer up nicely for the next two bars of leftward travel, again crossing behind the lady, with two glissade dessous and a jeté-assemblé. Notice that the jeté here both starts and ends with the left foot in front. The final two bars are the same sissone-assemblé sequence performed twice, this time with no adjustments.
The overall rhythm, including the temps levé which starts the chassé is:
and-ONE-and-TWO, THREE FOUR
ONE TWO, THREE FOUR
and-ONE and-TWO, THREE FOUR
ONE TWO, THREE FOUR
Changing the one assemblé to a jeté makes it easier for the dancer to go immediately into the following glissade, which moves sideways on the upbeat. This is a fairly common "cheat" in period step-sequences.
Ladies
1b Glissade dessous (closing behind) to the left twice
1b Jeté left before, assemblé right before
1b Sissone left behind, assemblé left before
1b Sissone right behind, assemblé right before
1b Chassé sideways to the right, passing behind partner
1b Jeté left before, assemblé right before
1b Sissone left behind, assemblé left before
1b Sissone right behind, assemblé right before
The traveling pieces are simply placed in the opposite order of the gentleman's: the lady moves to the left first with the glissades, performs the sissone-assemblé sequence at the corner, then returns with the chassé-jeté-assemblé and repeats the sissone-assemblé sequence. There is no need to modify the latter at the halfway point because the assemblé is followed now by the temps levé and chassé rather than a glissade.
The overall rhythm, again including the temps levé which starts the chassé is:
and-ONE and-TWO, THREE FOUR
ONE TWO, THREE FOUR
and-ONE-and-TWO, THREE FOUR
ONE TWO, THREE FOUR
These sequences can be easily adapted for those occasions when the chassé-croisé is performed at the corners. Simply have the gentlemen dance the ladies' sequence and the ladies dance the gentlemen's. The gentlemen would still move behind their corner ladies as they cross back and forth.
Steps
These are only brief summaries without the full details of bending and rising which add grace to the steps.
Temps levé and chassé sideways, abbreviated to just "chassé" in the step-sequences above: on the upbeat, hop lightly on the left foot, stepping to the right onto the right foot to second, then close the left foot to third and move the right foot sideways to second again. "Hop, step-close-step" to the rhythm "and ONE and TWO". This can also be performed to the left by reversing the feet, but only the right-traveling version is needed above.
Glissade dessous: sliding one foot to the side and closing the other foot to fifth or third position behind. The slide to the side is performed on the upbeat ("and") with the close coming on the downbeat ("ONE"). Glissade dessus is the same step but closing the trailing foot in front. Only the dessous version appears in Strathy's sequence.
Jeté: extend one foot out directly to the side (second position raised) then, bringing it either before or behind the other, leap onto it, raising free foot to point straight down, close along the leg. The motion should be "out-and-in". The step is initiated on the upbeat and lands on the downbeat. In Strathy's step-sequence the active foot may start before (in front) or behind, but it always lands before.
Assemblé: extend one foot out directly to the side (second position raised) then bring it in either behind or before while hopping gently into the air, landing in either third or fifth position with weight equally on both feet. Again, this is an "out-and-in" motion with one foot moving, not two feet changing places. It initiates on the upbeat and lands on the downbeat. In the sequences given here, the active foot always lands behind.
While I prefer Strathy's, it is not the only sequence I have for chassé-croisé. I'll continue with the next sequence in my next post.
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