Professor Sheldon's Presidential Polka Quadrille was created by Washington, D. C., dancing master George T. Sheldon, who had a lengthy career as a dancing master to both children and adults and was the author of at least a couple of other quadrilles. In May, 1898, Sheldon was discussed briefly in M. B. Gilbert's dance journal, The Director, in which it was said that he was then 72 and had been teaching for 57 years. His most famous pupil was probably Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant. This quadrille was said in several sources to be dedicated to her.
Professor Sheldon's Presidential Polka Quadrille seems to have first been published around 1893, possibly by H. N. Grant, and thereafter turns up in a number of midwestern dance manuals running through the early years of the new century. It is referred to variously by its full name, by the shorter Sheldon's Presidential Polka Quadrille or Sheldon's Polka Quadrille, and, in one manual, as Williams' Presidential Polka Quadrille. I have no idea who Williams was or why he was credited with a quadrille well documented as having been authored by Sheldon.
Like most polka quadrilles, Professor Sheldon's Presidential Polka Quadrille is primarily an excuse to polka, with just a few stray figures thrown in between polka segments. I was drawn to it by the interesting mixer element in Figure 3 and the unusual way of performing the right and left (chaîne anglaise) around the edge of the set in each successive iteration of Figure 4.
In general, this is a straightforward reconstruction with only two real problems to resolve, which are discussed in the notes below.
When not actually doing a turning polka, the dancers would probably have walked through the few other figures. For the polka segments, a simple (hop) slide-close-slide seems to have been more in style by this time than the more challenging (hop) slide-cut-leap.
Here's the reconstruction:
Figure 1 8b + 32bx2
4b Head ladies turn by right hands
4b Heads turn partners by left hands
8b Head couples polka inside the set
4b All turn corners by right hands (see note 1 below)
4b All turn partners by left hands (see note 1 below)
(end in closed ballroom hold)
8b All polka round
Repeat, side couples leading
Figure 2 8b + 24bx4
8b First couple polka inside the set
8b Head couples ladies’ chain
(end in closed ballroom hold)
8b All polka round
Repeat couple by couple moving counter-clockwise around set - first side couple, second head couple, second side couple. When a side couple leads, the side couples do the ladies' chain.
Figure 3 8b + 32bx4
8b Heads couples promenade around each other to end facing the side couple on their right
4b Facing couples cross right hands and go round
4b Facing couples change partners and return to gentleman’s original place (see note 2 below)
8b Head gentlemen and current partners polka inside the set
8b All polka round
Repeat with sides leading, then heads again, then sides again.
Figure 4 8b + 32bx4
8b First couple and side couple on right, right and left (chaîne anglaise)
8b First couple polka inside the set
8b Head couples polka inside the set
8b All polka round
Repeat moving counter-clockwise around set - led by first side couple with second head couple (side couples polka), then second head couple with second side couple (head couples polka), then second side couple with first head couple (side couples polka).
Figure 5 8b + 32bx4 + polka
4b All forward and back
4b All four ladies move one place to right
8b All four ladies, double ladies chain
4b All turn corners by right hands (see note 1 below)
4b All turn partners by left hands (see note 1 below)
(end in closed ballroom hold)
8b All polka round
Repeat three more times then all polka to seats.
Reconstruction and Performance Notes
1. In the sources, the figure "Turn Corners" appears in Figure 1 and Figure 5. It is given eight bars of music, which is a ridiculous amount of time for the obvious interpretation, a two-hand turn of one's corner. The solution I use for this, four bars of turning corners by right hands and four bars turning partners by left, is taken from the list of quadrille figures in John M. Schell's Prompting, How to Do It (Boston, 1890), which includes:
Turn Corners. -- (4 or 8.) Gents four steps to left-hand lady; swing half round; right hands joined; gents four steps to partner; swing with left hands to place.
2. In Figure 3, the four dancers in each cluster cross right hands and go completely around, then each lady continues rotating clockwise to give her left hand to the gentleman behind her, who is not her original partner, and continue promenading round the other couple to the gentleman's original place. The reconstituted couples continue to promenade clockwise around the other pair, making a beeline for the gentleman’s original place. The ladies are right shoulder to right shoulder in the center during this, with the gentlemen on the outside. One couple has a lengthier path outside the set, the other is basically spiraling around in place.
After four times through, everyone will have their original partners back.
3. In Figure 5, the ladies double chain is a ladies chain for four ladies., as explained here.
Music
I am fairly sure that special music for this quadrille was published, but, sadly, I have not been able to locate it. The figures are the standard length for a mid-19th century First Set or French Quadrille, so plenty of quadrille music will at least fit the figures.
Sources, in chronological order
Grant, H. N. Guide to Quadrille Dancing. Buffalo, NY, c1893
Clendenen, F. L. Fashionable Quadrille Call Book and Guide to Etiquette. Davenport, Iowa, c1895
Kopp, E. H. The American prompter and guide to etiquette. Cincinnati, 1896.
Clendenen, F. L./Coanacher, B. Fashionable Quadrille Call Book and Guide to Etiquette. Chicago, 1899
Jay (?) A.B.C. Guide to Ballroom Dancing. Chicago, c1900.
Wirth, A. C. Modern Quadrille Call Book and Dancing Master. Chicago, 1902
Wirth, A. C. Modern Quadrille Call Book and Dancing Master. Chicago, 1903
Quick, M. I. Complete Guide to Dancing. Chicago, c1903.
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