Quadrille Quandary

I was asked a question about the dates of the dance lessons in preparation for the Fezziwig Ball next February in downtown Riverside. Not knowing the answer offhand, I went to the Dickens Festival website, http://www.dickensfest.com. What should I find on the Dance Class page but two photos of quadrilles being danced! In the first is a certain barefooted girl. I am standing opposite her as her partner. Look for the bare feet. That's me. In the second, see that blue dress speeding by? That's me again.

Those may be the most flattering of all the photos I have seen of myself on the Internet.


I am reminded of Chapter X of Alice in Wonderland which described the Lobster Quadrille. It does not sound much like a quadrille--more like a contradance as performed by contestants on a "reality" TV program. The chapter also contains the wonderful Turtle Soup song (Soo--op of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup!). Here is the description of the dance:

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but, for a minute or two, sobs choked his voice. “Same as if he had a bone in his throat,” said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, went on again:--

“You may not have lived much under the sea--” (”I haven’t,” said Alice) “and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--” (Alice began to say, “I once tasted--” but checked herself hastily, and said, “No, never”) “--so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!”

“No, indeed,” said Alice. “What sort of a dance is it?”

“Why,” said the Gryphon, “you first form into a line along the sea-shore--”

“Two lines!” cried the Mock Turtle. “Seals, turtles, and so on; then, when you’ve cleared the jelly-fish out of the way--”

”That generally takes some time,” interrupted the Gryphon.

“--you advance twice--”

“Each with a lobster as a partner!” cried the Gryphon.

“Of course,” the Mock Turtle said: “advance twice, set to partners--”

"--change lobsters, and retire in same order,” continued the Gryphon.

“Then you know,” the Mock Turtle went on, “you throw the--”

“The lobsters!” shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.

“--as far out to sea as you can--”

“Swim after them!” screamed the Gryphon.

“Turn a somersault in the sea!” cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.

“Change lobsters again!” yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.

“Back to land again, and--that’s all the first figure,” said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad dogs, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.

"It must be a very pretty dance,” said Alice, timidly.

“Would you like to see a little of it?” said the Mock Turtle.

“Very much indeed,” said Alice.

“Let’s try the first figure!” said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon. “We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?”

"Oh, you sing,” said the Gryphon. “I’ve forgotten the words.”

So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:

"Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance

“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France--
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?

“Thank you, it’s a very interesting dance to watch,” said Alice, feeling very glad that it was over at last: “and I do so like that curious song about the whiting!”