The Greeks made dancing an appen dage to their dramatic representations, and were imitated, and even excelled, by the Romans, particularly in the Augustan age, when Pylades danced and used such action and gesticulation, as expressed all the pathetic emotions of tragedy, and Bathylus, his contemporary, was equally happy in exhibiting the more lively pas sions. In short, such were their excel lence in ballet or pantomimic dancing, that as they had brought the art to its acme, so it declined with them, nor was it revived till the celebration of the mar riage of Gallas, duke of Milan, with Isa bella of Arragon, in the 15th century, when a Lombard nobleman exhibited a •ballet at Tortona of the most splendid description, that excited the warmest ap probation diroughout Europe, and served as a model for imitation. Since the above period, almost every civilized nation has adopted stage dancing, which is now ar rived to great perfection in England; nor has private dancing experienced less attention, as many treatises have been written on the subject, amongst which is " Weaver's Essay towards an History of Dancing," and Tomlinson, a celebrated dancing master in the reign of queen Anne, published an entertaining work, in, which he terms dancing a science, and described the steps by printed charac ters ; to those may be added, Noverre's, Gallini's, and Peacock's observations and instructions ; the latter gentleman de clares "the fondness the Highlanders have for this quartett, or trio, (the Scotch reel) is unbounded; and so is their am bition to excel in it. This pleasing pro pensity, one would think, was born with them, from the early indications we sometimes see their children shew for this exercise. I have seen children of theirs, at five or six years of age, attempt, nay even execute, some of their steps so well, as almost to surpass belief. I once had the pleasure of seeing, in a remote part of the country, a reel danced by a herd boy and two young girls, who sur prised me much, especially the boy, who appeared to be about twelve years of age. He had a variety of well chosen steps, and executed them with so much justness and ease, as if he meant to set criticism at defiance. Circumstances like these plainly evince, that those qualities must either be inherent in the Highland ers, or that they-must have an uncommon aptitude for imitation." The music and dancing of Scotland is greatly admired in England; in truth, there is something so exhilarating and lively in the sounds of the former, that the writer of this article has frequently observed the heads and feet of a large audience suddenly set in motion by the unexpected performance of one of their favourite airs. Sensible of this predilection, it is not uncommon for the London professors of dancingto vis it Edinburgh, in order to obtain a thorough knowledge of the steps and inflections used in the reels, and other dances pe culiar to Scotland. Many modern vo
taries of this art have acquired the great est precision in the movements and fi gures, to which they have added so much animation and dignity in their per formance, that instances have occurred of personages of high rank, who, in the. simple minuet, displayed such noble grace, as interested some of the specta tors even to tears. This circumstance serves to prove, that the utmost care should be taken to prevent dancing from degenerating into the insinuating prelude to vice, as many of the experienced fe male performers on our different stages dress and exhibit their persons in a man ner rather reprehensible, and at least re mind us of the dancing girls of the East, where sets of young and beautiful prosti totes are taught the art of pleasing as a science, and to dance as a principal al lurement. Some of those unfortunate beings are attached to the Gentoo tem ples, and the service of their priests, and the fascinations of several have been suf ficiently powerful to attract the affections of chiefs and princes ; others have ac quired great wealth, and in the neigh bourhood of Goa is a village, founded by them, where they reside, and attend the rich, when they choose to send for them " to their voluptuous entertainments. These wantons array themselves in the utmost splendour and extravagance, and I are certainly agreeable objects in the es timation of their countrymen ; but Euro peans differ greatly in their opinions respecting their persons and dances, some pronouncing their movements merely lascivious, and others graceful and dangerous. These observations are the more necessary, since dancing has become a favourite spectacle at our thea tres, and as many of the grand ballets are attended with a considerable degree of pathos and effect, though frequently degraded by the extremity of gesticula lation and distortion of the limbs, which can only be applauded for their difficulty, as they are directly opposite to the true principles of the art, founded on ease, grace, and agility.
Rope dancing, now classed with the low amusements of a fair, or, theatres of the minor description, is of considerable antiquity, and an art very difficult to ac quire, as it is almost impossible even to stand on the narrow diameter of a rope, extended several feet from the ground, without the utmost correctness of vision, and the total absence of apprehension ; when this circumstance is recollected, it must be allowed that proficients in rope dancing deserve the applause they uni versally obtain, particularly when they unite their agile springs with graceful movements of the arms and legs, and throw themselves on their backs at length on the rope, turn suddenly round, leap over garters, pass through hoops, or ascend the steep line of the rope to the spot where it is fastened.