Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division It costs a dime to look through this Bausch and Lomb high power telescope Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Zoom In Inquiry

18th Century Country Dancing Analyze the different elements revealed in the pictures. Investigative Question What do the pictures tell you about the social role of dancing during the 18th century?

Where would you guess these people are Where would you guess these people are? Use visual clues to figure it out! * What kind of clothes are they wearing? * Do you think these are the only people in the room? * Where is the attention focused?

Do you see any additional clues to help you? * Look at the group in the background. What are they doing? What role do you think they play? * Where do you think the gentleman is leading the lady?

What is missing? Use your clues to guess!

Bal Paré (The Jewel Ball), 1774 Were you right? Notice that the dancers are the central point of the artwork. What does this tell you about their importance? Bal Paré (The Jewel Ball), 1774 Antoine-Jean Duclos (French, 1742-1795) after Augustin de Saint-Aubin (French, 1736-1807) http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/104239

How is this group of people different? How are they similar? Compare the clothes. Are the clothes on the left more formal or casual? How are the people interacting? How is it similar in each image? How is it different?

What else do you see? Do the new clues make this seem different or similar to the first scene? * Does the group look more relaxed? Why do you think that is? * What do the dogs tell you about the scene? * Why do you think there are children here? * What is the man holding in his hands?

What kind of social interaction do you see here?

Did you think this was outdoors or indoors Did you think this was outdoors or indoors? Based on what you know, what do you think is missing?

Were you right? How is this dance different from the first dance? Dance Before a Fountain, Nicolas Lancret, French, about 1730 - 1735 Oil on canvas. http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=143586

Dancing was enjoyed by everyone, of every rank in society. Not only was it considered an excellent way to stay healthy, it was also a means for social interaction. In many colonies, especially southern colonies like Virginia, your closest neighbor lived many miles away. A dance offered an occasion to meet with your neighbors and catch up on news and politics. Dances could be formal affairs as seen in the first picture, or they could be casual and impromptu as seen in the second. Wilson, Thomas, The complete system of English country dancing, containing all the figures ever used in English country dancing, with a variety of new figures, and new reels (page vi). London, Sherwood, Neeley and Jones [1815?] http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=168//musdi168.db&recNum=26&itemLink=r?ammem/musdibib:@field(NUMBER+@od1(musdi+168))&linkText=0

Dance masters would often travel from home to home to provide instruction. As Mr. Wilson advertises here, dance masters from England would often travel oversees to the colonies for employment. Wilson, Thomas, An analysis of country dancing: wherein are displayed all the figures ever used in country dances, in a way so easy and familiar, that persons of the meanest capacity may in a short time acquire (without the aid of a master) a complete knowledge of that rational and polite amusement. To which are added, instructions for dancing some entire new reels; together with the rules, regulations, and complete etiquette of the ball room., London, Printed by W. Calvert, to be had to Mr. Dutton [etc.] (1808). http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=170//musdi170.db&recNum=183&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fmusdibib%3A%40field(NUMBER%2B%40od1(musdi%2B170))&linkText=0

mentions that three of the children are According to the journal of Philip Vickers Fithian, private tutor to the Carter children of Virginia, the presence of the dance master would mean a day off from school! Here he mentions that three of the children are absent from his classes. Notice that both boys and girls attended the dance school. Fithian, Philip Vickers, Philip Vickers Fithian, journal and letters, 1767-1774, student at Princeton college, 1770-72, tutor at Nomini Hall in Virginia, 1773-74; edited for the Princeton historical association by John Rogers Williams, page 50. Princeton, N.J., The University library (1934). http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lhbtn&fileName=30673//lhbtn30673.db&recNum=85&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Flhbtnbib%3A%40field(NUMBER%2B%40od1(lhbtn%2B30673))&linkText=0

Let’s look at the dancers * How many dancers are in each group? * A dance with two couples is called a duple * A dance with three couples is called a triple Figure: Allemande Figure: Hands Across

Vocabulary In most dances, couples would form a set with men in one line, facing their partners in another. Wilson, Thomas, The complete system of English country dancing, containing all the figures ever used in English country dancing, with a variety of new figures, and new reels (page 2). London, Sherwood, Neeley and Jones [1815?] http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=168//musdi168.db&recNum=26&itemLink=r?ammem/musdibib:@field(NUMBER+@od1(musdi+168))&linkText=0

Vocabulary In most dances, couples would form a set with men in one line, facing their partners in another. Remember the duple and triple couples? They formed a small part of the big dance and were called a minor set. Wilson, Thomas, The complete system of English country dancing, containing all the figures ever used in English country dancing, with a variety of new figures, and new reels (front insert). London, Sherwood, Neeley and Jones [1815?] http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=168//musdi168.db&recNum=26&itemLink=r?ammem/musdibib:@field(NUMBER+@od1(musdi+168))&linkText=0

Vocabulary In most dances, couples would form a set with men in one line, facing their partners in another. Remember the duple and triple couples? They formed a small part of the big dance and were called a minor set. Dances were made up of a series figures. Rather than learn a dance from beginning to end, dance students would learn the figures. Once you learned the figures, you could dance any dance! Wilson, Thomas, The complete system of English country dancing, containing all the figures ever used in English country dancing, with a variety of new figures, and new reels (front insert). London, Sherwood, Neeley and Jones [1815?] http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=168//musdi168.db&recNum=26&itemLink=r?ammem/musdibib:@field(NUMBER+@od1(musdi+168))&linkText=0