DAK 



DAN 



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. 1 once 

 hud the pleasure ot 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 dancing to 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 inte rested 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- 



tutes 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 

 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. 



DANJEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Cryptogamia Filices class and order. 

 Fructification oblong, linear, transversely 

 immersed in front, parallel, many celled ; 

 cells in a double row, opening upwards ; 

 seeds numerous, very minute. There 

 are two species, viz. the nodosa and 

 alata. 



DANEGELT, a tax, or tribute, on 

 every hide of land, imposed on our an- 



