33.—THE STAR AND CIRCLE.
Four couples waltz around, then each lady selects another gentleman, and each gentleman another lady. The eight couples are arranged in two lines, the four couples in one line facing the four in the other line. The four ladies belonging to the middle couples cross right hands forming a moulinet, and swing entirely round to the left, returning with left hands across to the right. The gentlemen all join hands and form a circle around these four ladies. The remaining four ladies now advance, giving their left hands to the right hands of the ladies composing the moulinet, forming a star of ladies, and a circle of gentlemen. The gentlemen swing round to the right under the uplifted arms of the ladies, who move around to the left. At a signal, the gentlemen regain their partners and waltz to places. This figure may be varied, the gentlemen forming the star and the ladies the circle.
34.—THE DOUBLE PASTOURELLE.
The first four couples lead off with a tour de valse, and place themselves as for a quadrille. The first and second gentlemen retaining their partners’ hands, take with their left hands the side ladies on their left, who leave their partners, thus forming two threes at the head; they forward and back four bars; the gentlemen pass the ladies to the side gentlemen, the lady on the left passing under their right arms; the three forward and back four bars, the ladies going to the gentlemen at the head. This figure is repeated four times, when all dance.
35.—THE LABYRINTH.
In this figure all form a general round, going to the left. At a given signal the conductor releases the hand of his lady, who is on his left, and while continuing to turn in the same direction, enters the circle, making a colimaçon, while his lady turns to the right to wind about the other circles, that go on narrowing. A circular space should be contrived to be able to extend themselves in waltzing. In this position the conducting couple set out waltzing, and follow the passes of the labyrinth formed by the general chain rolling on itself till they have arrived at the last couple, to which the first lady gives her hand to renew the circle. As each new couple arrives it places itself behind the one previous. When all have arrived they conclude by a general waltz or mazourka. When this figure is executed in polka, you dance through the passes of the labyrinth with the waltz à deux pas, which requires less space; when the figure is executed in mazourka, you have recourse to the mazourka waltz. The Labyrinth is one of the final figures of the cotillion.
36.—LETTER CARRIER FIGURE.
Boy or girl in uniform of letter carrier with bag and whistle. Ladies inclose their cards in envelopes (each separately); they are then collected by the carrier. Gents form in line, carrier then hands letters, one by one, to leader, who calls the names as they are handed to him. First lady called dances with first gentleman and so on until five couples have waltzed around, when, from a signal from carrier’s whistle, they find seats and so on with each succeeding five couples.
37.—THE SERPENT.
First couple leads off. The gentleman leaves his lady in a corner of room facing the wall; then he brings forward four or five more ladies and places them in a line behind his partner singly, leaving about two feet space between each one. He then selects as many gentlemen (including himself) as there are ladies, with whom he forms a loose chain and conducts them rapidly in a course between the ladies (commencing with the last lady) until he reaches his partner; he then claps his hands and each gentleman dances with the lady nearest him.