Have you ever watched a Jane Austen movie and wished we still danced like they did? I do all the time. A young lady had to know all the dance steps for the current dances if she wanted to attend a ball. These gatherings were the best way for young people to see friends, meet new acquaintances, and hopefully catch someone’s eye. According to The Jane Austen Handbook, there are 5 different kinds of dances: the minuet, cotillion, quadrille, contredanse (country dance), and the reel.
Most of the dances I’m finding appear to be contredanses: gentlemen on one side, ladies on the other, facing each other. The lead couple works their way down the row.
Same music
Not all dances were so somber. They could also be noisy, crowded, sweaty, and awesome.
The music in the next one is more of a soundtrack and not a historically correct dancing tune but I still like it :)
There are still groups that hold dances like these, usually Jane Austen societies or other historical reenactment groups. If you find one let me know!
Happy Reading!
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