English Country Dancing, a form of dance
once practiced by kings and courts, featured in films like "Pride
and Prejudice" and a favorite pastime of president George
Washington.
It's enchantingly graceful, rooted in history, and according to
these dancers, a great way to meet people and just a lot of fun.
The St. Augustine English Country Dancers meet the fourth Friday
of each month at 7:45 p.m. at the St. Augustine Art Association, 22
Marine St.
Jubilee band member Sandra Arozqueta plays the
bass during an English Country Dance. | |
Long lines of couples face each
other in two rows, the violin begins to sing and a dozen skirts
commence swirling like fluid tops. Proper gentlemen take their
ladies by the hand, leading them in circles, passing them by with
dipped shoulders and stealing waggish glances.
The steps are simple, smooth and even. Even children and
newcomers, quickly recruited into the weaving throng, seem to follow
along easily.
"This is dancing for people who don't do any other kind of
dancing," enthusiastically said Ron Gemmell, who donned a crisp kilt
and knee socks and whisked a surprised first-timer into the fold.
Despite the friendliness of the dancers and guiding prompts of
the dance's caller, some people remain intimidated to try something
new.
Ron and Barbara Gemmell cut the rug. | |
"It's hard to get people to come
the first time. It's confusing the first time," said Charlie Dyer,
founder of the loose-knit group and caller for the dances. "I tell
people to come three times and then it will click."
Dyer compared the learning process to the building of sentences
-- once you get the words, or moves, down pat, it's easy to string
them together.
"We had a great time," said Karen Rochelle, who had brought her
daughter along to December's dance for their first visit. "We'll be
back. It's just a lovely feeling."
Dyer first learned English Country Dancing in Connecticut and
started a group in Jacksonville two years ago. While meeting with
Contra dancers, he began to occasionally introduce English Country
dances to mix. They were well-received and a splinter group was
formed for those who wanted to pursue the more reserved dance style.
Although Contra dancing is more quickly recognized by most, it
evolved from English Country Dancing. Dyer lovingly described Contra
as English Country's "raucous grandchild."
Rick Haven, left, awaits his turn while the
rings of dancers swirl about. | |
Because their 'ballroom' at the
Church of the Good Shepherd was not air conditioned, the group moved
to the St. Augustine Art Association about a year and a half ago.
Shortly thereafter, the dancers added more merriment to the
festivities by adding live music.
Traveling from Orange City and Altamonte Springs, the musicians
of Jubilee make lengthy journeys once a month to accompany the
dancers. Motivated by a passion for the music, the string ensemble
plays for a portion of the donations, which is shared with the art
association for rental of the hall. Visitors are asked for a $7
contribution.
The majority of the music was written for its own corresponding
dance and comes from the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet the band also
performs Christmas carols and classically-flavored modern pieces by
composers and selections by Henry Purcell.
The earliest recorded history of English Country Dancing was put
on the page in 1651 by John Playford in "The English Country Dancing
Master." Its roots, however, are surmised to trail back even further
into the 1400s.
"For the next 150 years it was THE social entertainment for the
upper class," said Dyer, who has a collection of approximately 300
dances, although only a sliver of that number are performed on a
regular basis.
"(Contra dancing) is peasant dancing," Sam Lindenbaum said. "This
is court dancing."
"This is much more delicate, much more refined," joined his wife
Ella.
One might picture a reserved, regal affair, but the genteel
dancing, followed by bows and curtsies, is far from stuffy. From 25
to 35 dancers young and old and from all walks of life drift about
light-footed with wide smiles upon their faces.
Sam first discovered English Country Dancing in the 1950s. He was
seeing a girl at Juilliard -- "Not me," piped his wife -- and wanted
to get to know her better.
"You want to see the girl so you have to be doing what she's
doing," he said.
Eventually his romantic interest in the girl faded but his
passion for the dance was never lost. It is the "lovely music" that
continues to fascinate him.
"We have to seek (places to dance)," said Sam, who learned of St.
Augustine's group after he met Dyer at a Contra dance festival. He
and Ella, of Hilton Head, decided to make a stop on their journey to
Boca Raton last week just to take their turns on the dance floor.
Tailor Rick Haven agreed that finding followers of the dance
style is not easy.
"There's a lot of Contra dancing in Florida but it's hard to find
English Country," he said.
New England states offer a greater abundance of such dances,
according to several dancers.
Haven and his wife Carol were once members of the Williamsburg
Heritage Dancers. It was in Virginia that Rick began dancing, lured
to dances to research what type of clothes to sew for dancers'
commissions.
Although the dancers at the art association range from casual to
elegant in attire, clothing was once played a sportive role in the
social events.
Carol explained the dances and dance attire were useful means of
attracting a mate in the 1600s and 1700s.
In those days, sacque back and polonaise dresses were the fashion
and were held up by dance tapes, so not to tangle a dancer's feet.
But it was the pockets of the dresses that were most unusual.
Separate from the seams of the gowns, the pockets were tied around
the waist and accessed through slits in the dresses. If a young
woman wanted the attention of a suitor, she wore her pocket,
ornately embroidered to show her skillful needlework, on the outside
of her dress and thereby announced her romantic interest.
Many of the dancers commented that they feel the flirtacious
nature of the dance continues today.
"This has a lot of playfulness. You can sorta flirt in a gentle
way," explained Meredith Munsey, who flitted across the floor in a
burgundy colored gown fitted with pannier to recall the wide-hipped
fashion of yore.
Dyer agreed.
"When you know what you're doing and there's this tension with
our partner, it's a great feeling," he said.
English Country dance lost its popularity with the acceptance of
the waltz, which was at first deemed scandalous because of the close
physical contact required. It has yet to make a roaring comeback,
but in St. Augustine there is still a chance to dance like royalty
-- simply slide on some dancing slippers.
