What did people dance in the 13 colonies?

What did people dance, in the thirteen colonies of North America, at the end of the 18th century?

1776: the thirteen British colonies of North America adopted the Declaration of Independance. THe story is well known, but what the the American settlers dance? By the way, did they still dance, while being at war with Great-Britain?

In this series of articles, I take a detailed look at the role of dance in the society of the 13 colonies, the future United States of America, at the time of their independence. Here is the programme:

• This article sheds light on the historical and geopolitical context of the 13 colonies and the repertoire of dances practised there.
• In a second article, you will discover how dance was learned and practised.
• Finally, the last article in the series will explore the political role of dance and the importance of balls in American political life.

Let’s get started!

The original United States: a divided up territory

The expression “13 colonies” and “United States of America” refer to the East Coast of North America as a monolithic entity, a united group. But, as soon as you take a look at the sources, a different reality arises.

There is no need to stury each colony individually here. But I would like to give a bit of context, useful for the understanding. Historians usually divide the colonies in three groups:

Colonies of the South (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)

The history of the South begins in 1607. A royal charter allows some English noblement to establish a colony. This is Jamestown, in what will become Virginia. Later, other royal charters will allow the extension of the colonies to the South.

English nobility made up the bulk of the population in the southern colonies. The aristocracy controlled the judicial and executive branches of government, as it did in metropolitan Britain. There were also small groups of Scots, Irish and Germans. African slaves completed the picture. Officially, the southern colonies were Anglican, and fairly moderate.

The economy was based on agriculture (rice, indigo, tobacco, etc.). Small farms, cultivated by their owners, coexisted with large estates, which exploited the land and slaves.

New England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island)

New England was born in 1620. You probably know the story of the Mayflower. This ship left Plymouth, in England, to go establish Plymouth, in Massachusetts. That’s quite a long drive just to stay in Plymouth.

In the Northern colonies, the population is mainly puritan. Puritanism incites individuals to read the sacred texts directly, without intermediary. To do so, one must be able to read. The Puritans put their words into action by founding the first school system in North America. They also established Harvard University in 1636.

By reading the Scriptures, anyone can make up their own ideas… that do not always align with the ideas of the majority. That’s why some settlers, looking for more religious strictness, go up North to create Connecticut. Other, wishing more freedom, create Rhode Island.

Strict or permissive, the colonies of New England have the same type of economy. It relays mostly on the exploitation of the forest: hunting, fur, timber. The last one comes along at just the right time, because (old) England was subjected to a shortage of timber at the same moment.

Timber is a vital resource for England, which intends to maintain the supremacy of its navy. Several shipyards are established in New England, creating a highly dynamic pre-industrial sector.

“Middle” colonies (New York, Pennsylvanie, New Jersey, Delaware)

Between New England and the Southern colonies, lies a region with a turbulent history. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it became the scene of fierce colonial competition. The United Provinces, Sweden, France and England fought over the region. Initially, the United Provinces gained the upper hand and founded New Netherland. But in 1664, the English took control of the territory. They renamed it New York and New Jersey.

Regardless of the colour of the flag flying over the governor’s house, the colonists who were already there remained. They formed a multicultural population: Dutch, “Belgians”, French Huguenots, Scandinavians, Germans… and, of course, colonists from the British Isles.

Let’s underline the religious freedom, granted by the law, in the middle colonies. This tolerance is very unusual in the other colonies, North and South.

In the Middle colonies, economy sits midway between North and South. The agricultural production is large (mostly wheat), as well as the timber production.

The 13 colonies have in common their geography, and their allegiance (still for a little) to the British Crown. For the rest, they are very different from one another. And that is also sensible on the level of dancing.

What did they dance? The dance repertoire in the 13 colonies

Dances of the First Nations

Let’s start with the dances danced by the larger number, in North America during the 18th century: dances of the First nations.

We did not kept any source created by the First Nations about dancing. Also, each nation has its own traditions. For example, here is a depiction of the Natchez dances, in nowadays Louisiana.

What the colonists saw of the First Nations’ dances must have seem odd and inappropriate, so there was no dance exchange between those groups of population. Let’s add that the exchanges between the colonists and the First Nations was limited to trade, diplomacy and armed fight. Not ideal bases for a choreographic encounter.

Dances of the slaves and black communities

Slaves abducted from Africa brought with them their own singing and dancing traditions. They kept that culture alive in America. In the South, Black and White folks are strictly separated. But we have an example of exchange between both communities in New Amsterdam. Which is New York, before the English took over.

We know that during the religious celebrations in New Amsterdam, Dutch and Black families dances together in the streets. Three-stringed violins and drums made from eel pots covered with sheepskin provided the musical entertainment.

That tradition, well settled, horrified the English when they took over the Dutch colony. They then discouraged any form of interracial dancing. The Black community developped, in parallel with the one of the colonists, their own dancing style. That style was going to greatly influence the Western ballroom dancing at the end of the 19th century. But we aren’t there yet.

And now, without further ado, here are the dances of the European colonists.

The Minuet

Aristocratic balls usually began with a minuet.

This formal and complex couple dance originated at the court of the Sun King. It perfectly expresses the spirit of the nobility. Only one couple dances at a time, under the watchful gaze (and comments) of the assembly. The couples perform in order of precedence, from the highest social rank to the lowest. Everyone therefore knows exactly where they stand on the social ladder and in relation to the other dancers.

The Allemande

The Allemande is also a couple dance. Much simpler in its steps, it involves different arm “passes”, a bit as in the rock’n roll. Originally from Germany, it was Paris that gave her her letters of nobility. That is why her name remains ‘Allemande’, even in English.

In America, the allemande is sometimes used to open the ball, in place of the minuet.

The French country dance

The last fashionable dance from Paris arrived in the 13 colonies in the 1770’s: the French country dance or cotillion. Four couples places in a square perform quite complex patterns on the ground. The structure of the dance alternated chorus and verses. A chorus is linked to a specific country dance, while the verses are the same in all the country dances. Those verses, called “changes”, are usually between 5 and 14.

The country or contra dance

The country dance, or longways, comes from England. It welcomes any number of couples. The dance is based upon the progression: the couples move up or down in the column. At the end of the 18th century, the longways are mostly in triple minor set: three couples interacts together.

The reel

American settlements welcomed not only Scots but Scottish dances. The most well-known is the reel. Three of four dancers alternates “solo” parts, with intricate footwork, and the “reel” part itself, where the dancers’ paths intertwines in hte shape of an 8.

Conclusions: the 13 colonies and the dance

Each one of the 13 colonies is unique. They are all different from one another, may it be because of their population, their religion, political system or economy. But everywhere, they dance the same dances.

The settlers completely underlook the dances of the First Nations and the ones of the slaves, even though they are the closest to them geoagraphically. The settlers get crazy about the dances from the British metropolis (country dance, reel, hornpipe), and even crazier about the French dances (cotillion, minuet, allemande). Those same dances knew at the time a great popularity in Europe.

Now that we know what the American settlers danced, let’s have a look at their practice of dancing. Or maybe you wish to jump directly to the political role of dancing during the American Revolution.

A doubt, a question? Feel free to use the space below to comment!