Capering & Kickery

Professor Asher's Polacca Quadrille, Figure 1

Late nineteenth-century American dance manuals are littered with Polacca quadrilles, comprising at least three distinct sets of figures plus variations.  For this series of posts, I'm going to focus on the set of figures advertised as taught by Professor Asher of Philadelphia.  I have at least six sources for this set of figures, none of which are completely consistent with each other, which makes it difficult to come up with an absolutely definitive reconstruction.  

The music for this Polacca set was composed by William Coleman and published as early as 1857, when it appeared in Shuster's flute music, published in Philadelphia, which is online here.  That is considerably earlier than any evidence I have for Asher's figures; the earliest source I have for any version of them is dated 1870.  A Polacca appeared on dance cards from Professor Asher's academy in late 1878 and early 1879.  It seems likely that the figures danced were Asher's own, but the first definitive source I have for them is a Boston reprint of Coleman's music, dated 1881, on which the figures actually appear with a credit to Asher.  I've treated this as my primary source for the figures.  A detail from the cover of this music is above at left; click to enlarge.

Coleman's music was also printed in J. W. Pepper's Universal Dancing Master (1882), appearing on pages 60-62.  Asher's figures, more or less, appeared separately on page 13.  Variant versions of the figures also appeared in The amateur's vademecum by E. B. Reilly (Philadelphia, 1870), A treatise on the elements of dancing by the anonymous T. Erp. Sichore (San Francisco, 1891), The American prompter and guide to etiquette by E. H. Kopp (Cincinnati, 1896), and A complete practical guide to modern society dancing by Albert W. Newman (Philadelphia, 1903).  Given the date of the Reilly manual, I think it possible that this variant is actually a separate version of the figures, existing in parallel with Asher's, but it's similar enough that I can't be quite certain.

Musically, "alla polacca" means in the manner of a polonaise, but the music is more waltz than polonaise.  The 1881 printing is labeled "Glide, or Polacca Quadrilles", referring to a glide waltz, and the T. Erp. Sichore source called it "The Polacca or Glide Waltz Quadrille".  Reilly (1870) declared that it was danced with "plain waltz step" although he stated that it required mazurka steps in two of the figures.  I don't recommend actual polonaise steps for the walked part of Asher's Polacca, just small walking steps counted in threes, and, despite Reilly's comment, do not suggest mazurka steps.

Highland Glide

Photo: Andrew Trembley

The Highland Glide was the very last schottische given in M. B. Gilbert's Round Dancing (Portland, Maine, 1890).  It reappeared in George Washington Lopp's La Danse (Paris, 1903) under the name La Highland Glide (Schottisch).  The dance was created by Chicago dancing master C. A. Carr, who published sheet music advertising the dance, though the copy I have scans of does not include the dance instructions.  Part of the cover of the sheet music may be seen at left; click to enlarge.  It is dated 1890.  Carr advertised himself as the creator of the "popular" Carlton (a polka sequence which appeared in Gilbert and Lopp) as well as "famous" Newports (plural), by which I suspect he means he composed music for dancing the Newport, rather than the dance itself.  Gilbert and Lopp also credited him with the Ashland (another polka), Le Beau (a galop), and the America (a mazurka).

The Highland Glide follows the common "double" schottische pattern of four measures of slow steps followed by four of faster steps, the first part with minimal turning and the second turning continuously using the typical late-nineteenth century waltz-galop step (explained here).  The measure count presents a minor reconstruction issue, since the steps are notated by Gilbert and Lopp in 4/4, but the sheet music is notated in 2/4.  It is fairly obvious from the rhythm and tempo given that two measures of the sheet music are what Gilbert and Lopp considered a single measure.

November 2019 Gig Calendar

I'll be juggling two big trips in November - to Kyiv, Ukraine, for a ball and a day of classes, then back to the USA in November for the Remembrance Day Weekend balls and a country dance evening in Chicago!  In Moscow, I'll be continuing some private lessons and doing another public dance at the American Center at the U. S. Embassy.

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Friday, November 1st ~ Moscow
Masterclass: 19th Century American Social Dances
for the American Center in Moscow
6:30-8:00pm.  Free, beginner-friendly class on mid- to late nineteenth century contra dances and quadrilles.  No experience necessary, no partner needed.  Note that (1) we will be dancing on lightweight carpet, so the slipperiest possible shoes are encouraged (but dance-floor-restricted shoes are not necessary), and (2) embassy security procedures are in effect, so pre-registration is strongly encouraged; form link to follow.  Part of a regular series happening roughly every other Friday.

Saturday, November 2nd ~ Moscow
17:30-19:30.  Private lesson

Tuesday, November 5th ~ Moscow
19:00-22:00.  Private class

Saturday & Sunday, November 9th & 10th ~ Kyiv, Ukraine
Gala Vampiria Ball & Master Classes (Facebook events, in Ukrainian: ball and classes)
Attending the ball on Saturday and teaching classes on Sunday.  The classes will include advanced nineteenth-century improvisation (rackets and Newport/Pasadena), cross-step waltz (shadow variations, including four different ways to do windmills, and tango-inspired variations), and new steampunk choreography.  Yes, this is an odd combination of themes!

Tuesday, November 12th ~ Moscow
19:00-22:00.  Private class

Saturday, November 16th ~ Moscow
17:30-19:30.  Private lesson

Tuesday, November 19th ~ Moscow
19:00-22:00.  Private class

Friday & Saturday, November 22nd & 23rd ~ Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The 17th Annual Remembrance Day Dinner & Ball (Facebook community) 
5:30pm-midnight each day.  TWO nights!  TWO formal dinners!  TWO balls!  Both evenings are formal Civil War-era events with pre-1865 costume (civilian or military) required.  Advance reservations (dinner and ball or ball-only) are needed, and this event generally sells out well in advance!  Friday night's ball is Fancy Dress/Masquerade with a Scottish/Tartan theme, complete with a piper to lead the Grand March.  Saturday will feature a Patriotic theme.  I will be calling both evenings this year, with live music both nights by the Fleeting Moments Waltz & Quickstep Orchestra and different beginner-friendly dance programs!

Monday, November 25th ~ Oak Park, Illinois (Chicago area)
From Jane Austen to Queen Victoria and Beyond! (Facebook announcement/flyer)
for Chicagoland English Country Dance
7:00-10:00pm.  An evening of country dances and quadrille figures tracing the evolution of group dances from the late eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century.  Beginner-friendly; no experience or partner needed.  This is a modern English country dance group, so only basic steps will be used; the emphasis will be on interesting figures.  Live music by Tim MacDonald and Jonathan Whitall!

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I am available for private lessons in Moscow (primarily Thursday nights and irregular weekends) 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: November 1-20, 28-30
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: November 21-23
Chicago, Illinois: November 25-26

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Coming in December: more dances at the American Center!