POPULAR DANCES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12765, 17 June 1911, Page 11 (Supplement)

POPULAR DANCES.

Tho position taken up by the dancers gave tiie name to tlie'•"quadrille," ■which is literal French for "a little srmaro" ; while "country dance" has no connection with rustic gymnastics, but it is simply a corruption'of tlie French centre dance which has reference to the position of the couples opposite to each other during the dance.

Tiio ''lancers" derived its name from tho fact that this variation of the quadrille was originally improvised by a company of lancers for their own amusement while seated in their saddles. The "polka" is a Polish dance, and its name comes from the Bohemian word "pulka " meaning half, and refers to tho half step which occurs in the lively measure, of which the more graceful "?;chottische" is a variation; both names, like thai, of the national dance of Poland, the "mazourka," being native terms

Tin* short steps peculiar to the oldtnnw favourite—the "minuet"—gave the danco its name, the Latin for "small" being "minutus." Tlie "waltz" again owes its name to its characteristic movement, th» Gerrfan "waltz^n" —meaning to revolve—expressing ths circling motion of the dance!».

The "Roger do Coverley" js named niter itr. originator, while the less familiar daneo known as the "tarantella" is so called because its vigorous movements were supposed to be a certain antidote to the poison of a noxious spider at To rantn, in Italy, whsre ths ti;i^'"» is li'"hly popular. The evolutions of the dancer sufficiently explain the term " reel.""Jig" is from the French "giaue." an-l' '"breakdown" is a term from across the Atlantic, and refer:? to the final rout before the broak-up of a free-and-easy dancing party. Every year dan cm,?: takes place in the parish church of Musgra""^, in "Westmoreland, in connection with the aticient rite of Tnshhearinc;. On May Dsy twelve yovng maidens of Brough, approved by the vicar, assemble at 10 o'clock in the morning, at the foot of Brough Bridge, decorated with flowers ?nd fresh garlands on their heads. Accompanied by n. band tliev proceed thnmcJi tho fields to Mussmve. tli© hand playing and the rushbcare"s

TWo etrls «re lerl tip +\>n north nH-» of t)i3 -church an' 3 hang their garlands r.t Hip sitloV therfi to remain imtil the fDllowinEC .year. i?riie Gospel is read by tho vicar, prayers are offered and !'.snlms .cting, after which the clerk and vicar retire. A snace is then cleared r.p.ar the attar and a fiddle, produced. Danninw now commences, nnd continues un+:l Lho afternoon. Dancin<r is frequently • seen in Cont'nontil churches. Dnrinf the Corpu? C-hristi octave a hallet i« ncrformea nre-rv evenirisc before tli3 high altar of Sevillo Cafliedral by. boys wearing o'timpd hatrrand the dress of pages of iho timo of Philip III:—"Globe."