Capering & Kickery

April 2019 Gig Calendar

April is going to be busy with local teaching for me: my regular weekly cross-step and "polka mazurka" (now expanding to all sorts of late-nineteenth-century dance) classes and waltz party plus private lessons and an Easter ball!  In between, I'll be preparing a whole list of classes for Vintage Dance Exchange 2019 - By the Sea, coming up in mid-May in Odessa!

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Tuesdays, April 2nd, 9th, 16th  ~ Moscow, Russia
Intermediate Cross-Step Waltz (generic VK post with times - in Russian)
7:00-10:00pm; lessons 7:00-8:15/8:30-9:45 + two 15-minute practice sessions
Concentration on "skater's" variations done with matched feet and making smooth and subtle transitions from matched to mirrored feet and through different arm positions!  Second and third classes will incorporate tango variations from the second class as well!  Pay by the week or for a full month including the waltz party on the 23rd

Thursdays, April 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th ~ Moscow, Russia
Late 19th Century Polka Mazurka Plus (generic VK post with times - in Russian)
7:00-9:00pm
Improvisation in polka mazurka using steps and sequences from American variations of the 1880s.  Emphasis on musicality.  Steps work with polka-mazurka, redowa, and mazurka music.  Also: applying these variations in galop and jig time!  Pay by the week or for the full four-week course.

Saturdays, April 13th & 20th ~ Moscow, Russia
Private lessons
5:15-6:15pm
Noted here just to hold the dates/times.

Saturday, April 13th
Easter ball preparatory class (VK announcement - in Russian)
7:00-9:30pm
I will be teaching from about 8:00-8:45; the rest will be the other ball leaders.  Easy choreographies!  First of three.

Saturday, April 20th
Easter ball preparatory class
7:00-9:30pm
Second of three, details TBA.

Tuesday, April 23rd ~ Moscow, Russia
Spring Waltz Party (VK event - in Russian)
7:00-10:00pm.  Waltz, waltz, and more waltz!  Light refreshments.

Friday, April 26th ~ Moscow, Russia
Private lesson
9:00-10:00pm
Noted here just to hold the date/time.

Saturday, April 27th
Easter ball preparatory class
7:00-9:30pm
Third of three, details TBA.

Sunday, April 28th ~ Moscow, Russia
Easter Ball (VK event - in Russian)  (Facebook photo-announcement - in Russian)
Easter ball [note: Orthodox Easter!] mixing historical, modern, and traditional dancing.  I am co-directing with dance studio "Russian Traditions" and Pavel Kundius.  Dress code: early 19th century (1800-1840) or modern formal; pink/red colors encouraged for ladies.  (See prep class on April 13th above!)

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I am available for private lessons in Moscow, or while on my various travels; during the latter, you must provide the dance space.  Email me directly if you would like to schedule a private lesson.

Moscow, Russia: April 1-5, 8-30
Tula, Russia: April 6-7

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Coming in May: Vintage Dance Exchange 2019 - By the Sea! in Odessa, Ukraine!

The Natural History of the Ballet Girl, 1847

The Natural History of the Ballet Girl (London, 1847) is one of a series of "Social Zoology" books written by the humorist Albert Smith, author of The Physiology of Evening Parties, which was quoted from in my earlier post about an article on the utility of the polka in flirtation.  I was expecting this to be some sort of satire, but though it is often witty, it actually seems to be a fairly realistic look at the life of a ballet girl in the London theatre in the mid-nineteenth century.  As Smith stated in the Preface: 

Should any Gent imagine, from the title of this little book...that there is anything in it which might, with propriety, exclude it from the drawing-room table -- added to the commonly-circulated notions of the class we are about to write of -- then is that Gent mistaken...

In other words, there are no naughty opera dancers here, just respectable, hard-working dancers.  Smith makes rather a point of this in a late chapter in which he describes the hardworking ballet girl at home with her iron preparing her gown (which she has likely made herself) for a ball:

If you were to take her by surprise on the morning of a ball, you would find her lodgings converted into a perfect miniature laundry, and you would possibly see her "getting up" the dress in which, at night, she intends to be the belle of belles.  And the chances are the has made it herself...

Smith lived and studied in Paris, so his frequent comparisons of London ballet girls to hard-working Parisian grisettes might be drawn from his own experiences as a student there.

Death of a dancing-master, 1699

While on the topic of late seventeenth-century dancing masters behaving badly, I came across information on one George Norton, seventeen years old, condemned to die for the murder of Thomas Harris, a dancing master whom he accidentally killed with Harris's own sword in a street fight.

Here's Norton's brief confession, excerpted from A True Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and last Dying Speeches of the Condemn'd Criminals, that were Executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 2d. of August, 1699, by John Allen, Ordinary.

George Norton, Esq ; 17 Years old, Condemn'd for the Murder of Mr. Harris; being examin'd gave this Account, which he confirmed with repeated and solemn Asseverations, when he receiv'd the blessed Sacrament, viz. That as he was going to his Lodgings, he accidentally met with the Deceased, whom he never saw before; who held a Woman in his Hand; he taking the Wall of her, she asked Mr. Harris, if he wou'd permit such a Puppy to affront her so: Upon which the Deceased pushed him, which made him demand who he was? Mr. Harris replied, he was a Man; this occasion'd several Words, which at length made them both draw, and as he protested, the Deceased drew first, and made several Passes, ten or twelve, before he receiv'd his fatal Wound. Being demanded how the Deceased's Sword came to be bloody and broke, and his bright and entire? He added farther; That as they were Pushing at one another, the Woman took away his Sword, which made him defend himself for some time with his Cane, but perceiving the Deceased to press hard upon him, he closed with him, and endeavoured with all his Force, to wrest the Sword out of his Hand, which breaking short, with the Point of his own Sword, the Hilt still remaining in his Hand, the Deceased receiv'd his mortal Wound; for which he seem'd very Penitent, earnestly beseeching God, to Wash him throughly from his Iniquity, and cleanse him from his Sin, in that Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness, the precious Bloud of the Immaculate Lamb of God, Slain to take away the Sins of the World. I believe he is a true Penitent.  (source: Old Bailey Online)

Later on in Allen's account is a brief note:

George Norton, Esq ; is Repriv'd till the ninth instant.

But the story didn't end there.  According to a surviving "true crime" broadsheet containing a fuller confession, Norton committed suicide by poison on August 8th, the night before his new execution date.

But why, exactly, were Norton and Harris fighting in the street in the first place?

A larcenous dancing master, 1694-1696

I came across the larcenous late-seventeenth century dancing master Daniel Phillips while browsing through the criminal proceedings at Old Bailey Online, which houses the records of London's central criminal court from 1674 to 1913.  He first turns up in the records on April 18, 1694, after purportedly stealing a tankard:

Daniel Phillips was Indicted for stealing a Silver Tankard, value 5l. from Edward Tendring. The Prisoner and another man were drinking at Mr. Tendring's house and the Prisoner was seen to take the Tankard from the Bar, and run away with it; which they threw into the Thames, (being pursued) and at 11 of the Clock the same night, the Prisoner and another were seen Rowing in a Boat upon the Thames, in order to search for the Tankard, with their naked Swords drawn in the Boat. The Prisoner urged that his Employment was worth 300l. per annum, (being a Dancing-master) and he had no need to steal. That it was meer malice in the Prosecutor to Indict him, for that he had arrested her for a Scandal, some time before she took him up. There was but one Witness against him, and he good Evidence for his Reputation: so he was Acquitted.  (source: Old Bailey Online)