The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 21, 1901, Page 2

7 cotillon in st form of New York hing ever E thing else i attractive oppor- nent of social debts, me time so much , ‘excepting only be satisfied compensation. es and adapta- s reducing the ng is n the lorg e cotilion, which is after season with the samo , as long as they will serve, s with trappings of increasing inner can be successfully given to but & small number, a ball is too slow, &nd only the very large houses have ball- rooms that will accommodate at one tima 2ll the people a woman of the fashionable set must ask. There iz always Sherry’s, or the Waldorf, or Detmonice’s, but the owners of private ballrcoms find the cotll- o+ WAR OF THE ROSES—WALTZ. K3 4444444444454 444400 Place a table on which are equal quantities of red and white roses at one end of ball- room. Eight couples dance. At signal from leader all go to table, each lady taking a red rose and each gentleman a white rose. Ladies gather in center of room, join right hands held high® together forming a bonquet of red roses. Men march in circle twice around ladies, meet part- ners, turn the ladies to the outside. Gentlemen join hands, forming bouquet of white roses; ladies march twice around in circle outside group, meet partners, bow and all dence. 44 P44 4444444004044 4400 R B O e e R 4 P4 EE A 44440 -3 7 SUCCESS TEFLY A lon such a good opportunity to show beau- tiful interiors to their friends that they r urse, thelr cwn houses when the additional advantage in cotilion of giving to a larger hance to dance.in comfort. nner dance or ball ends with older guests first, tho d the débutantes he floor after mid- taking ¥ night. is long past when soctal debts are liquidated an invitation to a jam and ush and a cuo of tea, or to a evening p ¢ h another crush t makes dancing impossible and youug man or woman who stands on the credit side of the account is lucky to be asked to one of the cotlilons given by a hostess of the smart set. Nothing Is spared to make it.as splendid as labor and money and Yaunkce ingenuity can achieve. “The eplitome of private dancing” an old dancing master calls it; the ideal way to sociability, the very last sort of gay- ety a bachelor gives up, the first to which a debutante looks eageriv forward. It is the most diverting, most exhilarating and most popular form of entertainment i metropolitan soclety, and the whole co; try follows. In Grandmother’s Time. Sixty years ago the cotillon was intrc- duced into New York. but it real all the square dances. Then the ** - ers” came in, and in order to distinguist the cotillon it was called the german, un- til a very short time 2go, when, the square dances having become unfashion- able, the old French name came back. A quarter of a century past a young man engaged the company of a young wo man a fortnight ahead and presented her with a nosegay on the night of the cotii- lon, which consisted of intricate figures and trifiing favors. Nowadays the cotil- lon in New York has all the magnificence of a court ball, with cazzling display In decorations, supper, favors and m all the appointments. Fancy a writer of early date describ- ing the cotilion in a serles of articles edited by the Duke of Beaufort, K. G., as “properly speaking, more a game than a dance, more suitable for children than for grown men and womeh. It certalply is Dot a British pastime. There is something absurd in the thought of an Englishman clad in his full armor of evening dress and starched lnen, going down on his knees before a lady ard gravely wipiug out his own image from a looking glass.” “The cotillon is a Freach dance,” is the writer's crisp parting mot. Politics and Jealousies. No national convention contains more politics and wirepulling than is indulged in during a fashionable cotillon. It is always a little drama of human nature, with selfishness, ambition, diplomacy, in- trigue and jealousies, with high hopes and corresponding heartaches. The day when personal attraction made the belle of the ball is gone, and the polite little game of beggar my social neighbor is so complex in its workings that there is small chance for any but those who are in position to bestow social favors. The pretty girl, the clever girl, has little show with the rich girl who entertains, or the young woman who is a particular pet of the hostess, and soclal and monetary power is the open sesame to belleship. Cotillon favors that are sometimes of great intrinsic value create much rivalry, which is bitter if silent, and pain and hu- miliation are caused that do not pass with the evening’s dance. The personality, tact and good hearted- ness of the leader count for a good deal, and he can control the fate of a girl at a dance, to a very large extent, but even he cannot save the wallfiower from her fate if the hostess has determined before- hand that she shall be relegated to the rear. As Mr. Alexander Hadden, a very popular cogillon leader, says:- “You can- not always induce a man to dance with Miss Wallflower because she doesn't know apy one. He will simply say, ‘I'd like to ebu.n you, my dear tcllu',’ but I am in- Aebted to so many that T shan’t be able to ' If he {s not so frank, he , but is likely to get no Speak says: g of cotillon 1 “I find most. suc g, Mr. Hadden s in the’simplest figures, for people do not ke to be both- ered. And there is so much to do nowa- wants to make hard never know what the ntil I know who are the of the company and people room. If there a chill in the atmos- phere, something must be done to break the ice, and sometimes a romping figure that puts every one out of breath is the best way to do Famous Cotillons in New York. At the beautiful affairs given this sca- son by Mrs Mr. Whitney Mackay and Mr. W me teresting fig- were danced, every effort being used e novelties, with all the accessories . not- Astor delighted her young women guests with embossed leather bags, em- broidered in Steel: miniatures in ‘gilt frames, flower fans, wreaths of roses and sinating bfg bows of white gauze at- tached to walking sticks bound in white satin, and a gay assortment of trophies ent to ornament dressing tables and at home. The men were given man beer steins and a lot of fetching trifies, among which were tops and strings, which the men immediately set .- o+ FAVOR FIGU‘RE—TWO-'STEP.‘ [ Aaaasacsasasnsnasand ) Leader selects twelve gentle- men, each of whom invites a lady to dance. At signal two lines are formed viz-a-viz on opposite sides of room, each gentleman having a favor. Men join hands, forming chain which starts at head of ladies’ line, and moves in serpentins figure under raised hands of ladies to lower end of line. The chain of men turns and goes forward, until the line is in the griginal position, each man facing his partner, to whom he kneels and presents the favor. All dance. The or- der of this figure may be re- versed. . tittttttttttttibttes FEAAEEE R P AR E A4 O+ -4+t 4 4444 on the waxed floor, to the amuse- the women. Fish = struck. a sporting note in at her Mrs many of the figures and favor: tillon riding cr being et of favors that was= immengely popular. She had belts and pencils, Louts XVI es, icture frames and desk n rhinestones. flower bangles <« XVI walking sti At Mr. Whitney's housewar: one of the superb ente son, the cotillon that made the t of the winter. Men rode in cn h by horses, others in balloons of colored paver, from which they broke loose when chosen by fair partn reen figure,” with a woman be- h screen, over which she showed en a very diverting one, but with enth: m to the 1 all the 1y school The and change, figures of the danci days. i Professor T. George Dodworth, whose uncle, Allen Dodworth, taught dancing 2nd deportment to the children of fashion- able families in New York sixty ygars ago, lon figures, and y leaders have have hag private coaching and points from him. Socizty’s Favorite Leader. A cotillon leader must be a drawing- room hero, who is of n ty past mast- er in generalship, in tact, quickness of wit, good nature and self-control. Even then he .isn't half appreciated except by the man who falls heir to his laurels and tries to live up to them. It is possible for the di dance and ¢ this TR0 TELE PERSOALITY OF THE own decorations, 1s d with extravagant floral t Mrs. Clarence Mackay's tillon, given at the Waldorf American Beauties and the most decorative kiiiful arrangement eplay, and wintes x a cotillon often Include . hunting and yachti s for many of the prett add a picturesque touch. The charm of the cotillon does not pass with the = the soring and short, wherever lon is in m AgO, of on in_town, but all through ummer it will be danced r soclety is. At Aiken, Palm , at Lakewood, Atlantic City, at the try clubs and country houses, at the ¥ ur( the season at the White Sul- rings e Mornfng germans were the at White Sulphur a few years but the athletic notion fills the head the girl of to-day and the cetillon does only for variety. Fortunes Spent in Flowers. In the season all the wealth of private conservatories traksferrofl to the houses of millionaires, and t and florists’ shops are he cotillon is sometimes danced un- der canonies and arches of flowers, the cot st of which is enormous—whole orange trees, with their fruit: rose bushes, forced and transnlanted. All the staple flowers hold their own, with branches of flowering shrubs that carry the poetry of the old fashioned garden with them. o dancers to make his lines easy or hard by - attention to his signals and directions and by entering into the spirit of his plans. The relations are something like those of general and soldiers, and long assocta- tion is a decided gain in enjoyment to each. In New York 'the smart cotillons are led by the more or less “‘old guard,” which is composed of men who for many seasons have been in great demand— Cralg Wadsworth, Elisha Dyer Jr., Worthington Whitehouse, Alexander M. Hadden, Harry Lebr, J. Montgomery Strong, Monson Morris, Schuyler Schiet- felin, Frederic Ashton de Peyster, Phoenix Ingraham, Frederic 8. Woodruff, Arthur Slade, Artemus Ward Jr.”and F. Ray- mond Lefferts. Thomas Coleston Kinney and Arthur Wiley are favorites with the members of the Wednesday cotillons; Edward B. Rip- son led the “Cinderella” dances this sea- son, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. led the attractive series of dances given at Dod- worth's. These favorite leaders go on and on, racking thefr brains for new ideas, keep- ing in mind the people to whom they are indebted, in which they share a duty with the other men—trying to make everybody happy, and usually succeeding. Mr. Dyer has a record of three cotillons in a week, and though Mr. Hadden finds it hard to lead as often as he ls demanded, with all the philanthropic work he does for love of 1it, society still pursues him and.insists that he “lead on.” Favors and Flowers. Though comfortable fortunes are spent in" favors, adding thus the incentive of rich prizes, and in decorations, refresh- ments and service—running into $15,000 or more in some instances—a few hundred dollars can be made to cover the cost of & _cotillon—if_you are not in the smart of the smart set—and the affair will be pretty and provide great fun. It is quite ossible to include enough flowers of the ess expensive kinds, with a liberal use of el o ducorats & saom charmingly, and in the small dancing clubs this is a particular advantage, for the cost to each member is trifling. Flowers are not always used lavishly, even by those who can best afford it. Mrs. John Jacob Astor loves bouquets of roses, and places them in just such a manner that their beauty is seen to best advan- tage. Mrs. Astor, to be sure, sometimes makes her baliroom look like a real rose garden, and makes brilliant spots with filowmg azaleas and other flowers of bril- ant color, but I have seen ing ef- fects in some less favored drawing rooms at_com Mr. itney's treasure house, L RS O S . O+++ 4444444444440 444444440 + BASKETBALL—WALTZ. FHEEEEE A E 444440 Place a basket on the floor at the upper end of the ballroom. Four couples dance. At signal each lady invites a gentleman, each gentleman invites an- other lady. Form two lines at opposite end of ballroom, eight gentlemen in one line, in front, and seven ladies in a line a few feet back. Each gentleman is provided with a ball. Ladies clap hands for signal, and gentlemen race to basket, toss in ball and race back, each quickly taking hold of a lady. One gentleman will be with- out a partner. A fool’s cap is placed on his head by the lead- er, and he stands in the center of the floor while all walta around +44t ittt ettt bttt bttt + * 4 + * e o 44444448 % THE COTILLON- SOCIETYS JOLLIEST FORMoDIVERSION | BIOR TT IS DANCED BY. NEW YORKS “SMART SET #'The shop windows have bloomed with them this vear while the snowflakes fell outside; boughs of fine yellow, called down South forsythia; small trees of brilllant . holly and mistletoe mingled for a time with the summery things. There was ch talk of introducing ‘simplicity” in society this year, but the beginning of the century has not demonstrated this, each host leaving to her neighbor the responsi- bility of making the innovation. great Character in decorations is the thing whether you expend much or little, and charming effects are to be had by carrying one idea throughout the enter- tainment and by working out a color scheme along some individual line. Great expense js absolutely not essenttal to the success of a cotillon even to blase people. South of Mason and Dixon's line, whers the ‘‘german’ is a perennial, the simplest possible, use of the country flowers leaves to the women a clear freld of their own for decorative beauty, and the girls who dance, dressed in dainty muslins with big picture hats of Leghorn, lace or braid, laden with bright blossoms, make their country famed the world over. For the Easter vacation, in town and out of it, all through the spring and summer, the rich- est man allve can buy nothing more ex- quisite than the gardens and the woods offer to the poorest, and the wealth of decoration to be had for little cost will or- mament the ballroom and furnish a great varfety of favors. 1t takes but limited imagination to see what may be done with jonquils, tulips, hyacinths an@d daffodils, ‘with dogwood, redbud, flowering almond, apple, peach, pear, plum and cherry blossoms, lilacs and snowballs. ‘Where Simplicity Reigned. Two cotillons are indelible in my mem- ory, one given at an army post, with thousands of snowballs used, half green, half white, on the long branches as they grew, and another in the Berkshire Hills, where mountain laurel, in pink and white, with its dark waxen leaves, was used in gorgeous bouquets, with old fashioned honeysuckle trained between, along the walls and over the oak rafters. Southern moss, the gray kind that fes- toons the live oak trees of the far South, is to be had at small price, and makes a graceful, fantastic trimming, which sug- gests the use of magnolias, 'oranze blos- Soms and Cape Jessamine (Gardenias) for favors, and two or three figures to carry out the idea of Dixie In burlesque. In the! matter “of favors the variety Is absolutely without limit. In that, as in any other detall, a cotilion may be as ex- travagant or as inexpensive, as stately, as sentimental or as absurd as the host chooses. The shop windows and show- cases will suggest dozens, and there are gentlewomen, whose lines have not fallen in plegsant places, engaged in making favors for a llving, and who are fertile in 1deas and materials. Children’s cotillons are always a success, for tots love the game, and exercise, and are ecstatically happy over the favors. The children’s cotillons at summer resorts have always been popular, and have been the esvecial fad in the South this year, where the yvoungsters have had a little soclety world of their own, following close in the footsteps of the oider belles and beaux in their rivalry and coquetries, Half a dozen steps were once used in the cotillon—the waltz, _schottische, polka, mazourka, redowa—but the waltz -and two-step are the only dances-of to-day. Professor Carl Marwig, who taught the belles of a generation past to dance the cotillon and later took their children in hand, is fertile in original ideas for fig- ures, which he designs to suit the season, place and company. Dnflng the hours he spends in street cars and in going about from some thea- ter ballet rehearsal to a drawing room class his thoughts are always busy in his art, and the cotillon figures he evolves are myriad. Professor a"’fn thinks sim- plicity an essential, and his figures are all constructed on eaSy lines. Fe says the American woman is the easiest of all to teach, for she dgnces everything with fa- cility, from the ballet to the minuet, the cotiilon included. Here Are Some Cotillon Figures. In addition to the figures designed by Professor Marwig, some of the more fa- miliar ones used by Mr. Dodworth have been very po . The military figure is as follows: ht couples dance, and at a signal each selects another partner and they form a double line in the middle of the room, all facing one way. The lines part in fours, gentlemen and Iadies locking arms; then each section swings out, the first ly and tleman of each section lock arms. ‘Rls joins each two sec- tions into one, four ladies and four gen- tlemen g now in each line. All face the head of the room and go forward. - Lines and gentle- NS y gl 43 | men going different ways, down two sides of the room. At a sij from the leader all face the center, the two lined advanc- ing. Take partners and all waltz. Another figure, which Mr. Dodworth calls “The Covered Way,” is very jolly, and may be danced by any number of couples, who form two lines, partners facing, Gentlemen join hands and hold them high. Ladies join hands and pass in_a serpentine line in and out under the arches. When the end of the line is reached the ladles in line enter the arch- way and move along until each reaches her partner. All dance. An extremely pretty effect is made by using flags of all nations, which are pre- sented in pairs. One of each pair is se- lected, and these are distributed among the ladies, The corresponding flags are given to the gentlemen. Those receiving flags Immediately rise, and each searches for the one having the corresponding flag; form two lines, facing, with top ends corresponding flags Joined, forming an archway. The first couple will pass & betwsen the lines, taking their places at the other end, placing flags in former position im~ mediately; each couple In turn doing the egame until all have passed down., A gen- eral waltz follows. ~This figure is made additionally patriotic by having the er- chestra play a few' bars of “The Star- spangled Banner” at the appearance of the American flag. A pretty idea is that of Introducing picturesque and becoming favors which the dancers can wear—poks bonnets of delicately tinted tissue paper, trimmed with flowers, and fantastic para- sols, made of crepe or tissue pa; which are bewitching when gracefully handled by pretty girls in light frocks. But, given a littls thought and study, any cotillon leader can think out a dozen flzuss to suit the company he is te en« tertain. * -8 WINDMILL—TWO-STEP. D R Sixteen couples get up, dance, and at signal from leader take positions described in diagram I. Lines A and C go forward in procession, ex%. changing places, ladies march- ing inside, gentlemen outside. - Then B and D change in the same manner, each two wings repeat to places. All lines forward to center, meeting as In diagram II, gentlemen at heads of lines and ladies at heads of lines crossing hands in center, join- ing the four wings of the windmill. Move twice around, ladies turn and bow to part- ners. All dance. R R RS AR nd tttttttttttttttrtttto Ottt ittt bttt sttt ittt s +ie t