Dancing

"Warm climates seem to be naturally roduotive of, and the most favorable to, ;he best singers and dancers. There alone can be found that glow and vivaoity, that mpetuousness and enthusiasm, which can ïardly ever be equaled in Northern climates. In Russia, for instance, dancing s quite as cominon a pastime as in Spain or ltaly. But how vast the difference ! Che Eus8ian peasant's dance is heavy, listess, and ofttimes devoid of gracefulness. Ie merely sways to and fro to the monotonous music of the balateica, a long guitar, whose notes are frequently drown?d by the shouts and songs of the bystanders. The dance of the Cossacks is nothng but a noisy tramp, or condensed stamping of the feet, dignified with the euphonious names of " koppak," " tropak" and " kastchok." But the court dance is ;he polonaise, of Polish origin, as indicated by the name. It is merely a measured promenade or march, affording the very best opportunity for conversation, is at once graceful and unconstrained, while ;he gtrictest etiquette may be maintained. Che redovra, mazurka and varsovieune are all Polish dances. Great Britain, ?rance and Germany have each been the ñrthplace of quite a number of special or 'ancy dances, but at the present day there s really no national dancing, and the same style prevails in all countries, at east in good society. The jig and counxy dances are purely English, while the reel is unmistakably of Scotch origin. Che minuet - so called because of the short step (menus pas) taken in the different igures - originated in the old Prench province of Poiton, and was afterwarda iniroduced by the Marquis de Flaumarens nto England, where it long remained in 'avor, and deservedly, for it was a digniled and graceful dance. The gavotte, which has recently oome into fashion here as a fancy dance, was tripped centuries ago by the peasant girls in Gavot's couniry - a small, mountainous country in the neighborhood of Gap, in the south of France. The ever delightful waltz, contrary to ;eneral belief, is not of Germaa origin. [t was extremely popular in France towards the thirteenth and fourteenth cen;urie8, and becaine known in Germany only after that period. lts popularity was soon established in all countries, despite the prejudioes and objectionB raised igainst it. The polka was brought from the forests of Hungary in 1840, andere ated quite a sensation. Everything was done in polka fashion. There were polka hats and dress goods, polka jewelry and polka trimming. Shortly after polka became popular here, or about the same time Mr. Polk was elected President of the United States, and o wing to this somewhat singulas coiucidence, many persons Bupposod that the new dance had been named after him, or in his honor. The schottische and mazurka next came in vogue, and from that time fanoy dances multiplied rapidly, many of them going out of fashion before the end of a month. Not a few of the oiodem dances were first brought out on the etage. The cotillion introduoed here under the name of the Gorman, i a very oíd dance, whioh has been but slightly modified, for most of its figuren were well known more than one hundred years ago in several of the aucient provinces of Franoe. The bouquet, mirror and butterfly figures, for instunco, were quite popular, and it mainly consisted, and does now, of round dances. Then, as now, it required some talent to be a good leader of the ootillion. The Orientáis are very fond of witnessing ballets, and intrioate passeuls, but the] never dance themselves. The dances o the bayaderes and alinees are true panto raimes, though not always very delicate or graceful ones.