A Dance from the Officers’ Mess

La Jupon Rouge
Dance from Thomas Wilson’s A Companion to the Ballroom, (3rd edition) published in London, England, probably in 1816.

Original text: “Whole figure at top lead down the middle up again & allemande”

This is a longways dance for a minimum of three couples, and “as many as will” thereafter. These particular “figures” or actions are from the simplest of several different dances given for this tune.

First Figure: Whole figure at top

1^st Couple walks a “whole” figure, (a figure eight), around the 2nd couple – the 1^st lady starts by crossing right shoulders with the 2^nd gentleman (who does not move at all). At the same time the 1^st gent starts by crossing left shoulders with the 2^nd lady (who does not move at all either.) Both continue to trace the figure eight and return to their starting place.

Second Figure: Lead down the middle up again

1st Couple join hands (lady’s right and gent’s left) and walk down the set, let go hands and turn towards each other to face back up the set then taking hands again walk up the set into second position. The 2^nd couple “progresses” into first position in order to create the gap into which the 1^st couple end after leading down and up.

Third Figure: & allemande

Lastly, the 1^st Couple faces each other and by crossing right shoulders “do – si – do” around each other, or as Thomas Wilson writes: “move round each other’s situation back to back”.

Continuing…

1st couple repeats these figures around the 3rd couple, and then a “new” 1st couple at the top of the set is in position to begin. If there are only three couples dancing, the new top couple begins. If there are more than three couple dancing, these two couples dance the figures simultaneously, then 1^st, 3^rd 5^th and so on.

Historic Background: La Jupon Rouge is french for red skirt or petticoat. Diarist Elizabeth Simcoe, wife of John Graves Simcoe, 1st Lt. Gov. of Upper Canada, wrote in Montreal “Monday June 4th [1792] – A splendid ball at the Chateau, but the heat was so great that I was very near fainting after having danced Money Musk and the Jupon rouge.” Judging by the date, it must have been a King’s Birthday Ball

Want to learn more about early 19^th century social dance? Would you like to give it a try? Historic Fort York presents the 8^th annual Dance & Dance-ability, an evening workshop of 19^th century English Country Dance. Jane Austen fans and anyone interested in the social life of the officers’ in garrison are encouraged to attend. Friday September 26^th at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10 per person. Beginners are welcome and no partners are required. Live music and historic refreshments will be served. Call 416-392-6907 to register today!

If you are interested in the volunteer dance program but are not able to attend Dance & Dance-ability on the 26^th, there will be a special Volunteer Recruitment Night on October 16^th starting at 6:30 p.m. Come out and learn all about opportunities in the historic cooking program, community bake oven, officers’ garden and dance programmes. Call 416-392-6907 for more information.