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by The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers



Newport Dancers' Gazette

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The Newport Dancers' Gazette

Newport Dance Week
Volume 5 Number 2 - August 14, 1998
Editors: Michelle and Peter Lee

MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY BALL
AT OCHRE COURT

The 19th Century Ball will be held at Ochre Court on Friday night from 8:30-11:30 PM. Formal attire is requested. Music will be provided by the New River Dance Orchestra.

NOTE BENE: Near the entrance of Ochre Court there will be an enticingly empty table. Do not leave valuable possessions (e.g. cameras) there, as the general public comes past that point to observe the ball.

REVISED DIRECTIONS

To get there from Portsmouth Abbey School: drive down Cory's Lane to Route 114. Turn right on Rte. 114. Go 5-6 miles down Rte. 114. You will pass a plaza on your right with an Ames dept. store and the Ocean State Job Lot. At the next light, you should see a furniture store on the corner. Turn left here onto Valley Road (which is also Rte. 214, though it may not be posted as such). Follow Valley Road/Rte. 214 for several miles. It eventually intersects with Memorial Blvd. which bears right and past Newport's First Beach (on left). As you go up the hill on Memorial Blvd., there is a sign pointing to the left for Salve Regina Univ. To make this turn, you must make a left into the median, another left into traffic, and then your first right onto Annandale Rd. Follow Annandale to the end. Turn left on Narragansett Ave. Take your first right onto Ochre Point Ave. Ochre Court is 1 1/2 blocks down on the left. You may drive up to the portico to let out passengers, then parking can be found in the lot to the left of Ochre Court - reached from Webster Street. Note: If you miss the sign to Salve as you come up Memorial Blvd., continue to the intersection with Bellevue Ave. Turn left onto Bellevue Ave. Turn left when you get to Narragansett Ave. (there is a traffic light at the intersection). Pick up the above directions from there.

SURVEY RESULTS

The results are in! 52 people turned in entries for this year's Gazette survey, and the answers paint an interesting picture. Collectively, the respondents brought 219 hats, 142 white shirts (men only), 329 pairs of shoes (women only), and traveled 26,513 miles to get here. For perspective, if the average women's shoe is about 11" long, those shoes, laid end-to-end, would span the length of two football fields! Based on the height of this editor's straw boater (about 3"), a pile of all the hats brought would stand almost 55 feet. I wonder if that would set some sort of record?

The average respondent brought 4.29 hats, 6.76 white shirts (if male), 10.6 pairs of shoes (if female), and traveled 552.35 miles to be here. The median values were 3 hats, 6.5 shirts, 10 pairs of shoes, and 250 miles traveled. The person who brought the most hats (27!), also brought the most shoes (30 pairs!). The gent who brought the most white shirts brought 18. The greatest distance traveled to be here was 2,700 miles.

Responses to the question "How far would you be willing to travel to get to this dance week?" included votes for "anywhere," "1 hour from any airport," and "as far as my Frequent Flier miles will take me." Of those who responded numerically, the median distance was 600 miles. This editor's favorite response was the enigmatic "How deep is the ocean?"

Regarding the Newport Lancer's Quadrille, the largest group of respondents (23) said that they never refer to the cheat sheet while dancing. The second largest group (13) refer to their sheets at the start of each figure.

Expect to see alot of black at the Candlelight Dinner, especially among the men - all but one gentleman plans to wear black (or black & white) to the event. The sole male dissenter plans to wear Army Green. As seems only proper, the women will be dressed more colorfully. After black, the most popular hues promise to be lavender/purple (4), pink (3), and cream/off-white (3).

Responses to the final question ("If I had lived in Newport in 1895, I would have...") were quite varied. On the whole, people approached the question from several angles: what they would hope to have done in 1895, what they would have done here based on their family history at the time, or where they would be today if they had lived here in 1895.

The most common answer was the wish to have servants (7) or own one of the mansions; there were many other optimistic visions of the past as well. 

The next most common answer was that they would have been servants (6).

Another group mentioned activities: owning sailboats (4), butterfly collecting, writing on horticulture, talking on the phone, foreign travel and playing tennis.

A surprising number of wiseacres (5), said that if they had lived in Newport in 1895, they would have died long before now.

Some of the more memorable responses, in no particular order: been a dance girl, tried to sell lightbulbs, invented air conditioning, and used a "thunder mug."

MUSIC ON BOARD THE RMS TITANIC
REVIEWED BY W. ROBERT CHAPMAN

I Salonisti. And the Band Played On: Music Played on the Titanic. Decca/London 289 458 382-2.

Ian Whitcomb and the White Star Line Orchestra. Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage. Rhino 72821

When the Titanic sank on the night of April 14, 1912 it did so to the musical accompaniment of members of the ship's White Star Line Orchestra. According to legend, the last piece played as the ship began her journey to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean was the hymn Nearer My God to Thee but many contemporary reports dispute that claim.

It now appears fairly certain that the orchestra instead played the mournful waltz Songe d'Automne, a small detail for which I'm willing to forgive film director James Cameron for playing Nearer My God To Thee since it seemed dramatically right in a film based on historical fiction (you don't still believe those star-crossed lovers were real, do you?). Besides, his Titanic movie paid far more attention to historical accuracy than do most Hollywood productions. A pity he couldn't have used more authentic period music and less wailing from Celine Dion in the soundtrack. 

In any event, there were actually two musical ensembles on board the Titanic: a string quintet provided entertainment for the first-class passengers while a string trio serenaded those from second class. The White Star Line Songbook contained 352 selections, ranging from overtures, operatic selections, sacred music, entr'actes and intermezzi, suites and fantasias, waltzes, marches and cakewalks.

Founded in 1983, the Swiss group I Salonisti own a large collection of scores belonging to the Rudy Nyáry Orchestra, which played on numerous transatlantic liners during the first decade of the twentieth century, using much of the music contained in the White Star Line Songbook. They are comprised of violinists Thomas Füri and Lorenz Hasler, cellist Ferenc Szedlák, double bassist Béla Szedlák, and pianist Werner Giger.

The members of I Salonisti are all superb musicians, and their performance on this recording is highly musical and undoubtedly represents the highest standards of Palm Court performance practice. (And since there was no ballroom on board the Titanic, I Salonisti's performance style is entirely appropriate.) But therein lies a caveat: this is music-making suitable more for digesting a sumptuous meal than for dancing. Musicians and experienced dancers will no doubt be able to dance to it, but the ritards that add so much to the musical drama can play havoc with social dancers, who generally expect more regularity in tempo.

Ian Whitcomb's recreated White Star Line Orchestra, on the other hand, sounds as though they've been playing for dances since at least the turn of the century. The English-born Whitcomb plays piano, accordion and ukulele, and recites a haunting poem. He is joined by violinists Terry Glenny and Bobby Bruce, cellist Marston Smith, keyboardist and bassist David Pinto, and string player/accordionist Fred Sokolow. If you're in the market for beautifully played salon music, this CD is not the one for you: its clunky sounding piano may be historically accurate but even an hour of Artur Rubinstein playing this dreadful instrument would be enough to drive one to drink, and its string players have occasional intonation problems that should have been cleaned up in the recording studio.

But as purely dance music, the Rhino recording wins hands down. Like Roy Wiseman (of Connecticut's New River Dance Orchestra), Ian Whitcomb understands the importance (to dancers, at least) of playing at dance rather than concert tempos - and he has wisely opted to do so in this album. Passengers would probably have heard both styles on board the Titanic or any of her transatlantic rivals.

Actually, the two CDs are quite complementary. The only songs common to both are Destiny and Glühwürmchen (Glow-Worm), with quite different interpretations. Both ensembles attempt to recreate the ambiance of hearing music as it was performed on board a pre-World War I luxury liner. The White Star Line Orchestra recording, which won a 1998 Grammy for Best Recording Package for its superb 35-page booklet, includes several numbers utilizing a theater organ such as the one on board the Titanic. I Salonisti end their album with Nearer My God to Thee while the White Star Line Orchestra opts for Songe d'automne.

(Editor's note: Ian Whitcomb announced at the Cincinnati Dance Week that his recording of music from the lower deck orchestra on board the Titanic will be released on the Varese Saraband label in September.)

If you want concert-quality music, go with I Salonisti. If you'd rather dance than listen, pick the White Star Line Orchestra. If money is no object, get both.

W. Robert Chapman is not only a very tall dancer but he gets to buy lots of sound recordings, including vintage dance music, for the Hartford Public Library, where he is a reference librarian and classical music specialist.

 

 

ASK MRS. ASTORBILT

Dear Mrs. Astorbilt,

I don't mind sitting out a few dances. I understand that there are often more ladies than men at a ball. I do feel, however, that it adds insult to injury when I cannot find a chair to sit in because they are covered with fragile fans, purses, cameras or shawls. How can I clear a chair of its debris without offending the owners?

Tired of Standing

Dear Miss Tired,

The balls at Newport are held in lovely, period ballrooms. We have become very careful about leaving our modern paraphernalia in separate rooms. One almost never sees a tangle of shoes or bags under the chairs. Nevertheless, there are some things that are too lovely or too useful not to bring into the ballroom. Each lady or gentleman should think ahead about the loose objects they will have, and plan some places to keep them. Cameras (don't forget to label your camera ahead of time, and keep it in a period style bag or covered with a cloth) should be left on a table or on a mantle or windowsill out of the way, and preferably far away from the entrance of the room. Fans should be carried as much as possible (either in the lady's hand, or in her partner's pocket). If they are particularly fragile, they should probably be left home. Shawls should be folded and tucked carefully out of the way. Remember, if you leave your things draped over, or dropped onto chairs, you are inviting them to be sat upon. If you carefully deposit them out of the way, they will be less likely to be damaged or misplaced. If you need to clear a chair during the evening, Mrs. Astorbilt trusts that you will do so with as much consideration as possible.

Mrs. Astorbilt
(reprint from NDG 8/25/97)

Dear Mrs. Astorbilt,

At a recent ball I approached a pair of ladies standing together and asked one of them if she were available for the next dance. She declined very politely. I suddenly realized that I was in a terrible dilemma over whether I ought to ask her companion for that dance. I'm afraid that I hemmed and hawed rather stupidly, then beat a hasty retreat. What should I have done?

In A Quandry

Dear Mr. Quandry,

Except for the hemming, hawing and hasty retreat part, most 19th century etiquette manuals agree with your instinct not to ask that nearby lady. In these manuals, a gentleman who finds himself declined for a dance is advised not to ask any nearby lady for that same dance. Presumably, the reason for this is that the second lady would naturally, and appropriately, feel that she was your second choice. On the other hand, Mrs. Astorbilt knows a number of twentieth century women who would rather be second choice than not chosen at all.

Mrs. Astorbilt congratulates you on having discovered one of those truly difficult situations where a combination of innocent acts (asking for a dance and being declined) has put you in a position where you are d---ed if you do and d---ed if you don't. Mr. Cecil Hartley, the author of Mrs. Astorbilt's favorite etiquette manual for gentlemen, is firm on this matter: "If one lady refuses you, do not ask another who is seated near her to dance the same set. Do not go immediately to another lady, but chat a few moments with the one whom you first invited, and then join a group or gentlemen friend for a few moments, before seeking another partner." (Hartley, Cecil B. The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette (Philadelphia: 1860) p. 96.) Mrs. Astorbilt is in fact of two minds on the issue. Mrs. Astorbilt believes that you should not feel compelled to ask her, but she also feels that you should not feel compelled not to ask her.

Mrs. Astorbilt will instead content herself by offering some advice to all involved. Should a gentleman choose to ask that nearby lady to dance, he should not refer in any way to the matter of having previously asked another lady for that dance. There is no explanation that can be offered that would outweigh the fact that one should not spend time while dancing with one lady discussing the fact that one would rather, for whatever reason, be dancing with another. Should the gentleman decide not to ask that nearby lady, he could do no better than to follow Mr. Hartley's advice as to detailed procedure. In this case, Mrs. Astorbilt reminds the lady of a somewhat parallel situation that is frequently addressed in etiquette manuals: "A lady cannot refuse one gentleman's invitation, and then dance with another - but should one do so, a gentleman will not notice it, but quietly engage himself elsewhere."(Anon. The Art of Good Behaviour (New York: 1848), p. 26.) Like the gentleman in this situation, the lady is advised to just forget about, or even better, not notice, the entire matter. Mrs. Astorbilt reminds that lady that there are many good reasons why a gentleman might go elsewhere to seek a prospective partner, and it is not a good idea to spend too much time at a ball thinking about all the gentlemen who, for whatever reasons, do not happen to ask you for a dance that evening.

Mrs. Astorbilt

"A very neat trick can sometimes be worked at a dance. You have steadily avoided a particularly dreadful damsel throughout the entire evening. When she has put on her cloak and fur overshoes, and you see her hurrying through the hall with her maid, on her way to her carriage, jump out of the smoking room and say:

"What? Home so early! Can't you stay and have just one with me?"
Be careful, of course, not to be too urgent, else she may stay, thus hoisting you on your own petard."

Manners for the Metropolis 1912

ETIQUETTE AND ARITHMETIC
by Patri J. Pugliese
(Reprinted with minor editing from the Newport Dancers' Gazette, 1994)

"Ladies who dance much, should be very careful not to boast before those who dance but little or not at all, of the great number of dances for which they are engaged in advance. They should also, without being perceived, recommend to these less fortunate ladies, gentlemen of their acquaintance." (R. A. Wells, Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society (Mass., 1891 ))

The Friday evening ball will feature dance cards on which ladies and gentlemen can fill in the names of partners for upcoming dances. Many ladies dislike the use of dance cards, while others like them very much indeed. The Newport Dance Week compromise is to have cards only at the mid-nineteenth century ball as they were a nearly universal part of balls at that time. There will, however, be a considerable number of "extra" dances throughout the evening. For some reason, many ladies panic when presented at the beginning of the evening with an empty dance card-perhaps because it calls to mind that most dreadful of images, an evening spent sitting near the wall for the duration of the ball. The natural reaction is to take all possible measures to get that dance card filled as quickly as possible lest all the most desirable (from the point of view of dancing) gentlemen, or worse, all the gentlemen whatsoever, be taken as partners by others. The unfortunate consequences of this are rarely appreciated by the majority of ladies at a ball, but are unforgettable to a small minority.

In the year this article was written, The estimate for the Friday evening Ball was that there would be 45 gentlemen and 49 ladies present. If the gentlemen sit out no dances, then each lady could dance nine out of every ten dances, and would thus sit out between one and two dances in the entire evening. If one permits the gentleman a bit of rest, it should still not be necessary for any lady to sit out more than two or three dances in the evening. What happens if a particular lady decides that missing two or three dances is an impardonable infraction on her desire for the pleasures of the ballroom, and decides to get another dance filled in? Presumably, some other lady will sit out one more dance. Now, what if 24 or 25 ladies decide to add one more dance to their program? One might suppose that the other 24 or 25 ladies would each sit out one more dance, but this is by no means the case. What actually happens is that two or three ladies sit out virtually all the dances of the evening. If those 24 ladies fill their cards completely, this becomes four or five ladies. I find it difficult to imagine that any ladies present at this dance week would knowingly inflict that fate upon another for the sake of adding one or two dances to an already pretty full evening, but I have seen it happen far too often through what can most generously be granted as thoughtlessness.

The quote above refers to ladies who find themselves sitting out many dances at a ball as "less fortunate." In our present ballrooms, this often translates as those new to the activity and thus less well known to the gentlemen, those who are by nature shy about approaching gentlemen with requests for dances, or those who have adopted at nineteenth century style balls something of the manners of the nineteenth century and are unwilling to ask gentlemen to dance because ladies at that time would not have done so.

While the above is addressed to ladies who have on some occasions exhibited an undue aggressiveness about filling their dance cards, this by no means absolves the gentlemen from their responsibilities in the nineteenth century style ballroom. If gentlemen make a particular point of noticing which ladies happen to be sitting out dances and ask these ladies to dance, the unfortunate consequences mentioned above could be avoided. While the use of dance cards reduces the capacity of gentlemen to correct the consequences of overly aggressive women (as they cannot very well ask a lady to dance if they are already promised for that dance), the presence of extra dances provides at least some opportunities in this direction.

LETTER OF APPRECIATION

One of this week's more memorable events - the 1890's Ball - owes its spectacular surroundings in large part to the kindness of the management at the Astors' Beechwood. If you enjoyed the setting, and would like this site to remain available to us in future years, please consider sending a letter stating your appreciation to the following individual:

President
The Astors' Beechwood
580 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840

The people to write to in regards to our wonderful new location are:

Right Abbot Dom Mark Serna, OSB
285 Lorey's Lane
Portsmouth, RI 02871

Please also CC: or send a note to Daniel McDonough, Director of Summer Programs

"The correct treatment of a foreigner in Newport is to gush over him, praise him to your friends, invite him to your entertainments. The course may be pursued for one week. After that, treat him with great reserve and coolness for the same period of time. At the beginning of the third week you should abuse him roundly, and take pains to recite the hidden and secret passages of his past. Advice for the fourth week is unnecessary: they never last more than three.

…In dancing, unless you are an accomplished waltzer, the safest advice to follow is: 'Avoid the corners and keep kicking.'"

  Manners for the Metropolis 1912

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