{"id":2386,"date":"2025-05-21T06:14:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T05:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.histoiredebal.com\/?p=2386"},"modified":"2025-07-16T06:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T05:29:10","slug":"la-military-dip-waltz-nouveaute-pour-lannee-1903","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.histoiredebal.com\/en\/2025\/05\/21\/la-military-dip-waltz-nouveaute-pour-lannee-1903\/","title":{"rendered":"Military Dip Waltz, a novelty dance for 1903"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you know the Military Dip Waltz<\/em> ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t either!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything began while I was going through the Belgian newspapers from the Edwardian era. I am always looking for interesting stories to inspire some blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between countless ads for danse lessons, and the programmes of the Brussels theaters, a peculiar article draw my attention. Its title: \u00ab Les danses de No\u00ebl en Angleterre<\/em> \u00bb (the Christmas dances in England).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On sait que No\u00ebl est, en Angleterre, le vrai temps des f\u00eates et des r\u00e9unions mondaines. Chaque ann\u00e9e, on s\u2019efforce d\u2019en renouveler le charme par quelque invention plus ou moins spirituelle ou plus ou moins originale. Les innovations de cette ann\u00e9e sont trois danses : le \u00ab Military Dip \u00bb, la \u00ab Coronation Waltz<\/a> \u00bb et la \u00ab Cake Walk \u00bb.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know that in England, Christmas is the true time for festivities and social gatherings. Every year, one endeavours to renew the charm of the season by some new invention, more or less witty or original. This year’s innovations are three dances: the “military dip”, the “Coronation Waltz” and the “Cake Walk”.<\/p>\nLe Petit Bleu du Matin, December 24, 1902, p. 5 \u00ab Les danses de No\u00ebl en Angleterre \u00bb. Re-published on December 25, 1902, ibidem<\/em>, p.6<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Well, that make three titles. Do you know them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I confess that I only knew the Cake Walk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the good news is that my research bore fruit. So much fruit, in fact, that I had to split the article into several parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this article is the beginning of a mini-series. Let’s begin with the Military Dip Waltz<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military Dip Waltz according to Le Petit Bleu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What does the article from Le Petit Bleu tell us about the Military Dip Waltz<\/em> ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Le \u00ab Military Dip \u00bb (ou \u00ab plongeon militaire \u00bb) ressemble \u00e0 l\u2019ancienne valse, avec cette diff\u00e9rence qu\u2019au lieu de faire une l\u00e9g\u00e8re inclinaison au premier pas, comme jadis, le couple qui la danse ex\u00e9cute une sorte de salut ou r\u00e9v\u00e9rence au troisi\u00e8me pas, ce qui a pour r\u00e9sultat de produire un effet absolument nouveau dans la danse ; car au lieu de voir \u2013 comme dans la valse de nos m\u00e8res, – tous les couples se mouvoir avec une pr\u00e9cision rythmique \u00e0 travers la salle du bal, il peut arriver que l\u2019on voie un couple \u00ab plonger \u00bb, tandis qu\u2019un autre danse.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Military dip resembles the old waltz, with the difference that instead of making a slight inclination at the first step, as in the past, the couple dancing it performs a sort of bow or curtsy at the third step, which has the effect of producing an absolutely new effect in the dance; for instead of seeing – as in our mothers’ waltz – all the couples moving with rhythmic precision across the ballroom, it may happen that one couple \u201cdives\u201d, while another dances.<\/p>\nLe Petit Bleu du Matin, December 24 1902, p. 5 \u00ab Les danses de No\u00ebl en Angleterre \u00bb. Re-published on December 25, ibidem<\/em>, p.6<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The word military usually indicates that the dancers start in open position, side to side. As in the Military schottische<\/em> or Pas de Quatre<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, here, the dancers do not use that position, according the the Belgian article.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""military"or
The usual position of the dancers for the “military” dances. The matching outfits are optional.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u00ab Dip \u00bb as a dance terms maybe reminds you the square dance Dip and Dive<\/a><\/em>. In that dance, the “dip” is under arches formed by the other couples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, here, the dip is diffent. The dancers of the Military Dip Waltz<\/em> create the illusion of a dip by leaning and bending the knees. Therefore the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the text of the Brussels newspaper is not enough to give us an idea of what the steps in this choreography might have looked like. So I went in search of other sources for the Military Dip Waltz<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dance manuals are relatively silent on the subject. The press, on the other hand, is much more prolix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military Dip Waltz according to the Tampa Tribune<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An article from the Floridian newspaper Tampa Tribune<\/em>, dated June 22, 1902, gives us more information. Its title: Some new Dances That may Be Seen Next Season<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The choregraphy of the Military Dip Waltz<\/em>, by George V. Lovely got a third place during the convention of Normal School Association of Masters of Dancing of the United State and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article gives us a rather precise instructions for the dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Military Dip Waltz \u2013 Side waltz position, gentleman facing in forward marching direction; lady facing toward rear, both with left foot in fourth position, front. Gentleman dips forward on left, lady backward on right, count 1-2-3; dip in another direction, count 1-2-3. Gentleman steps forward on left, count 1-2-3; forward on right, count 1-2-3, at the same time makes a quarter turn to the right, four measures in all for first part. Second part, waltz four measures, gentleman commencing with left foot. Repeat ad lib.\u201d<\/p>\nTampa Tribune, June 22,1902, p. 9 “Some new Dances that may Be Seen Next Season”.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Reconstruction for George V. Lovely’s choreography  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dancers in close position, Lead facing LOD, Follow facing the Lead. Both have the Left foot in fourth position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bar<\/td>Move<\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>Lead dip forward with L (Follow backward with R)<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Lead dip backward with R (Follow forward with L)<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Lead step forward with L (Follow backward with R)<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>As bar 3, Lead steps with R, end with 1\/4 turn to the R<\/td><\/tr>
5-8<\/td>Waltz<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And that’s it for the contemporary sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought that the dance was fallen into oblivion after its launch in 1902. And then I found Helen Davis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The posterity of the dance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Twenty years after the Tampa Tribune<\/em> article, Helen Davis’s Complete Guide to Dancing<\/em> repeats the article of 1902 word for word. The author simply replaces gentleman <\/em>and lady <\/em>by man <\/em>and woman<\/em>. Perhaps a sign of the times?<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Helen
Helen Davis, Complete Guide to Dancing<\/em>, Regan Publishing Corporation, Chicago, 1923, cover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Helen Davis adds a remark too:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The \u00ab Military Dip \u00bb differs from the old dip waltz danced a generation ago in having a dip to each move instead of every third movement. <\/p>\nHelen Davis, Complete Guide to Dancing, Regan Publishing Corporation, Chicago, 1923, p. 113.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So the dip waltz would have evolved in that direction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n