Regency Advertisements: A New Dance

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ECOSSOISE In a few days Mr WILSON will have to present to the Public an Eoure New Work on the last New and Popular Admired Species of Daucing the ECOSSOISE clearly illustrated by a Variery of Diagrams This species of Dancing the Author submit to the Public as easy of Altainment its simple yet beauuful Construction aud conLadies as an Amusement the more pl asing par as a Substitute for Quadruiles when their becomes lessened NB Mr WILSON is preparing for his 75th PUBthe BALL wbich will be shortly announced Academy Old Bailey Sept 271h 1817 931

This ad appeared in the October 1817 issue of La Belle Assemblee.

ECOSSOISES The Ecossoise i e Scotch Dance is a species of dancing that is not clearly known where it originated but are principally performed in Russia and Gernany and it is supposed to have been copied from the Contre Danses for the only difference is that the lady goes down the gentlemen's side and the gentleman goes down the ladies side which changes might have arisen through mistake though in the end it is evidently a great improvement Position of the Dancers OOOOO OOOOOO Ladies Side Gent's Side This o denotes ladies and this gents Any number of persons can join observing that the first couple exchange places each couple doing the same as they regain the top and when they get to the bottom they take their own sides so that you lead down one side and up the other It is the general custom of leading off every two couple down the middle is seldom or ever introduced and all figures that requires three couples are excluded and each dance terminates when all have been down it NB The general technical terms I have adhered to for the figures and I certainly should advise those who think fit to give new names to the old figures to publish a glossary pro bono publico

In selecting the following Ecossoise figures they are arranged as Single and Double which may be danced thus a Single figure will require a tune of two strains 16 bars and for a Double figure the tune must be played twice through or a four part tune 32 bars Several popular tunes are named to which the figures may be danced Three part tunes are never danced Single Figures Hands three on the ladies side hands three gentle men's sidehalf right and left pousette to places Hands across back again cross over one couple turn your partner to places Hands three on the ladies șidem hands three on the gentlemen's side cross over one couple turn your partner to places Right and left change places all four back to back_N B This denotes four bars and this eight bars
Single Figures Change sides back again advance four and retiremchange places Half figure back to back cross over one couple turn your partner to places Change sides back again half right and left all four set and turn partners to places Double Figures The small square promenade two couple swing with right hands and cast off one couple swing with left pousette to places Whole figure at top change sides back againcross over one couple turn your partner to places right and left at top Set and change sides back again half figure at top back to back cross over one couple turn your partner to places pousette at top to places Hands across back again cross over one couple turn your partner to places first couple advance and retire back to back pousette
Double Figures Hands four round back again half figure back to back cross over one couple turn your partner to places right and left at top The small square hands across back again whole figure cross over one couple turn your partner to places Swing with right hands swing with left hands set four in a line and turn to places change sides back again change places all four back to backHands three on the ladies side hands three gentle men's side half figure back to back promenade four to places half right and left turn your partners to places The figures may be danced to any of the following and various other tunes played as two or four parts according to the figure Forest of Bondy La Paysanne Isabella Daphne La Poule Sicilian Village Maid Ru an Do ce Highland Laddie Le Cobourg La Flora The Gloucester Carnival of Venice Matilda & c & c & c The Dancer’s Guide (1821)

Here is a video of a recreation of a Russian style ecossoise:

To learn more about Thomas Wilson, dancing master, check out this great post: The Works of Thomas Wilson, Dancing Master (regencydances.org)

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