This is the short two-figure version, with many modifications to serve as a performance for an audience.
Richard's reconstruction of the
unmodified five-figure original quadrille is here.
See notes on the history and reconstruction of this dance at the bottom of this page.
For Jason Chuang's description with video clips, click here.
Formation: Four couples in a square.
I
Honor partners and corners.
Kolo: Take hands-8 and CIRCLE LEFT with 4 coup de talon (heel clicks); CIRCLE RIGHT with 4 more. (8 bars)
Turn to face corners and GRAND CHAIN R & L without hands, men folding arms. Pas Glisse (skating step) to the left, right, left and right. (4 bars)
Promenade partners to places with 4 Pas de Basques (mazurka running step). (4 bars)
Figure: In open waltz position, both head couples PROMENADE forward with 4 Pas de Basques, once-and-a-quarter around the inside of the set (gents hook left elbows), approaching right-hand corner couples. (4 bars).
Facing partners, TIROIR with side couples by executing Whale's side step (ladies pass through the center).
For the men: 1) Stamp L to the left side; 2) Hold L, extending R to the right side; 3) Cross R behind L;
4) Stamp L farther to the left; 5) Swing R over L, rapping the floor; 6) Swing R back to the right side.
1,2,3) Repeat the first three counts to the right side; 4) Stamp R to the right side; 5) Close L to R with a stamp.
For the women, same step starting to the right side, without stamps. (4 bars)
Heads take hands-4 in the middle and CIRCLE RIGHT with 4 Pas de Basques, beginning his L, her R. (4 bars)
Head couples face partners and REDOWA to places. (4 bars)
SIDE COUPLES execute the figure.
II
Four bars of intro music.
Kolo 1: All couples PROMENADE halfway around the set. (4 bars of Pas de Basques); All 4 gents GENUFLEXIONS to one knee and lead their
partners to circle around them once. (4 bars); PROMENADE halfway around the set. (4 bars); REDOWA to cross over to opposite places. (4 bars).
Kolo 2: All face partners and do the TIROIRS figure simultaneously straight across the set with 4 Coup de Talon.
All return to places by the same path with 3 Coup de Talon and a cadence.
Figure: Partners TWO-HAND TURN (open hands) once-and-a-half around CCW with 4 Coup de Talon to the right. (4 bars); Continue turning CCW with ALLEMANDE
of left elbows, with 4 Pas de Basque beginning R, turning once-and-a-half until he is on the outside facing LOD and she is on the inside of the set.
(4 bars); He then leads his partner back toward the gent behind him as he progresses on the the next lady and PASSES her by the right shoulder.
(2 bars); TURN your vis-a-vis (opposite partner) by 2-hands a full turn clockwise. (2 bars); PROMENADE with this partner halfway around the set. (4 bars).
REPEAT all four parts of the figure beginning with this partner.
REPEAT the first two parts of the figure with your original partner in your original places.
All 4 MEN ADVANCE to the center of the set and take hands-4 high (2 bars); all 4 WOMEN CIRCLE individually out away from the set, around to the left, and
into the center, to take take each other's hands behind the men's backs, as the
men drop their held hands down behind the encircling ladies, into a basket (2 bars); the basket circle breaks somewhere toward line of direction and OPENS
into a line facing line of direction (4 bars). Gents raise arms and ladies ESCAPE forward; gents wait a measure then chase their partners, ending with a
promenade with partners. (8 bars); all tour sur place and holubiec (turn in place). (8 bars).
The first kolo is from Durang's first figure, p. 128.
The first figure is from Durang's second figure, p. 129.
The second kolo is from Durang's third figure, p. 130.
The continuing kolo is from Durang's fourth figure.
The second figure is from Durang's fifth figure (the figure is #2 and 3).
(Note: Quadrille fifth figures often involved all four couples dancing simultaneously.)
To finish out the music, the dance is concluded with a popular mazurka figure described by Cellarius called
"The Intermingling of Arms" (Cellarius' figure #56).