Victorian & Ragtime Era Dances  

Members of the Vintage Dance Society and its performing troupe, Polite Society, have researched and reconstructered a variety of dances from both the Victorian and Ragtime eras.  In addition, we teach and perform a wide variety of the dances from both eras.  The dances typically taught and performed include:

To assist members of the vintage dance community that are interested in learning new dances, we will publish a variety of these dances on this page.  We will also publish any dances sent in to us from other members of the vintage dance community. 

     We will kick off this page with an 1890's varient of a popular vintage dance- The Lancer's Quadrille.  This version was found in the 1897 dance manual "Dancing" by Edward Scott.  Mr. Scott refers to this as the "American" or "Diagonal" Lancers, but Dr. Patri Pugliese informs us that it is also known as the "Saratoga" Lancers.  Mr. Scott indicates that the figures of this dance are more animated than those of the "ordinary" Lancers, because all of the dancers are moving at the same time.  (We present only figures 1, 3, and 5, as those are the ones typically danced in vintage dance circles.)    "Diagonal" Lancers

Formation:   A square, with four couples.  Head couples are nos. 1 & 2. Side couples are nos. 3 & 4. 

First Figure 

Leading couples turn partly to the right, while the sides turn to the left, so as to face each other. 
All advance (with four steps) and retire (with four steps), advance again and turn their opposite with two hands (finishing by returning to places).  Head couples take inside hands and cross between side couples (as side couples also cross), and in returning, side couples join inside hands, while the head couples pass on the outside.  All end in original place.  All set to original corner person (four steps forward and back to left shoulder) and turn this person with two hands. 

In repeating, the side couples turn to the right (head couples to the left), so that each couple has a new vis a vis (opposite). 
 

Third Figure 

All join hands (in a circle) and advance (four steps) and retire (four steps), then advance (four steps), bow, and then retire.  The four ladies then perform a grand chain (turn in the center with a right hand star, halfway around, turned by your opposite gentleman by the left hand, turn in the center with a right hand star, halfway around, turned by your partner to place).  This figure is then repeated. 

(There is another version of the third figure which can be alternated with the above.  We will publish that variation in the next update of this page.)

Fifth Figure 

Facing partner begin a grand chain (start by giving right hands to partner, left to the next, and so on) once around.  Couple no. 1 promenades around the inside of the set, ending in place, but facing out of the set.  Couple nos. 3 and 4 fall into place behind couple no. 1.  Men chasse to the right (4 steps) behind the ladies, while the ladies chasse to the left.  All balance forward (step, close) and back (step, close).  Then chasse back to places, and again balance forward and back.  Then head couple cast off to bottom place (men following top man, ladies following top lady) and then lead back up to the top.  Lines go forward and back, and then turn partner to place.  Repeat 3x.  On each repeat, the next couple (2, then 3, then, 4) leads the promenade.  The figure ends with a final grand chain.

Stay tuned for more dances on this page
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