The Giroux sisters dance academy on George Street or The long view of Moles

Through most of the nineteenth century, the White family ran a business selling musical instruments and sheet music in their shops at 1 Milsom Street and 3 George Street. They were also composers of music and publishers of music; especially dance music.

John Charles White, in particular, produced a lot of music for quadrilles between 1816 and 1820. The quadrille is a square dance for four couples and usually involved a set of five dances. Normally these dances consisted of a standard set of steps and the only variation was the music. At the peak of the popularity of the quadrille, John White attempted an innovation by inviting a local dance teacher, who operated an academy close to his George Street shop, to create new steps. The lady concerned was a Miss Giroux.

White's Music Warehouse in Milsom Street

This was probably Miss Louisa Giroux but may have been her sister, Cecilia, in 1820 Louisa was about 17 years old but had been dancing professionally for 9 years.

The 5 Giroux sisters, there may also have been a brother, were the children of Gabriel Giroux a dancer, choreographer, composer and dancing masters who claimed to have been a dancing master at the Paris opera but first appears on the record as a ballet-master at the King's Theatre London in 1786. He next appears in 1802 at the Haymarket dancing with his "pupils" the Misses Giroux and a Master Giroux. For the next 16 years or so the Giroux family performed as dancers, instrumentalists and singers in leading London and provincial theatres.

We have a description of one of these performances from 1809, a benefit night for Gabriel and Cecilia Giroux at the Royal Circus in London. At this show, which starred Jane Austen’s favourite actor Robert Elliston, Gabriel and his three daughters performed a strathspey and reel as part of a play. This was followed by a ballet composed by Gabriel then a piano duet performed by him and his daughter Cecilia, after which she danced a Pas Seul. In between these, the six-year-old Louisa made her first stage appearance dancing a hornpipe. The show ended with a harlequinade featuring a song by Miss Caroline and "the much-admired Skipping Garland Pas de Trois" performed by three Miss Giroux.

The Royal Circus at about the time of the Giroux's 

In 1811 Gabriel and his daughters were dancing on the Bristol stage and by 1818 four of the Giroux sisters had moved to Bristol and were performing without their father who seems to have stayed in London. It was in this year that we learn that Cecilia and Louse had set up a dance academy in Bath at 14 George Street and thrown the first of their annual balls designed to show off the skills of their pupils at the Upper Rooms. They particularly advertise their services for “Ladies who wish to perfect themselves in the QUADRILLES”.

Early Illustration of Quadrille Dancing

Around 1820 the sisters seem to have closed their academy while they planned an expansion so in 1821 Cecilia Giroux who is now residing at 52 Queen Square Bristol announces the reopening of their dance academy in Bristol, Clifton and Bath. While both sisters were teaching across the three locations it looks as though Cecilia focussed on Bristol and managing the overall business while Louisa managed the Bath academy in George street. We have a description from the Bath Chronicle of the Giroux pupil ball that year which “afforded the highest gratification to a numerous and fashionable company, assembled to witness the proficiency of the pupils of these accomplished females in the delightful art of dancing Waltzes, quadrilles and cotillions, with every other species of graceful movement, were executed by the useful and interesting groups, in a style of elegance which at once gained honour for themselves, and same for their instructresses.”

In addition to organising balls at the Upper Rooms Louisa was also performing there and local composers were creating music for and dedicating compositions to her. She was apparently particularly well known for dancing the hornpipes that had started her professional career. Throughout this period the sisters continued to perform in ballets and other entertainment at the Theatre Royal which put on an annual benefit performance for them.

When she was 25 in 1828 Louisa married a local drawing master and became Mrs Edwin Evans.

In 1829 Louisa seems to have broken her business relationship with her sister and set up on her own account at no 5 Union Street.

In 1830 Louisa held her pupil ball at the Sydney hotel which was very well supported.

In 1831 Edwin was declared bankrupt and it is probably at this time that Cecilia took her sister back into partnership.

By 1835 the sisters had added the fashionable exercises of callisthenics to their curriculum.

In 1844 a Music Warehouse selling instruments and sheet music was opened under the Girouxs’ dancing academy in George Street.

Sometime after 1845, the sisters seem to have drifted apart and by 1849 Cecilia was still active in Bristol but seems to have abandoned Bath for Weston super Mare.

In 1848 Louisa’s cousin’s husband the dancing and fencing master Thomas Moutre was using 14 as a base for the academy he ran with his wife Georgina. This arrangement does not seem to have worked well and 2 years later Thomas had moved to 31 Milsom street and Georgina and Louisa had formed a formal partnership.

Louisa while retaining her interests in Bath was by 1851 also teaching dance and callisthenics in Brighton.

The Giroux - Moutre partnership continued the tradition of annual pupil balls in the Bath assembly rooms and in addition held end-of-term displays at their George Street premises. The success of the partnership can be judged from the fact that in 1856 they announced that they would be holding their end of term festivities at the Upper Rooms rather than Miss Giroux's house in George Street as up to 500 people were expected to attend.

Cecilia’s Giroux died in 1856.

A Description of 14 George Street from 1859

Louisa’s died in 1860 but was teaching until within months of her death she announced her retirement in June. The premises in George Street continued as a dance academy under the proprietorship of Mrs Moutre and her husband who ran it until her death in 1887 when it passed to the dancing mistress Mrs Rolf.

Number 14 continued as a base for dance teachers right to the end of the 1960s when Miss Laura Starks A.I.S.T.D., G.T.B., cert B.B.O gave up her tenancy.

Miss Starks is on the left

After Miss Starks departure the building became a home to various businesses including a couple of short-lived nightclubs until in 1978 Phil Andrews created Moles which has occupied the building ever since.

Today Phil is still involved with Moles in partnership with the DJ Tom Maddicott and has become nationally famous for promoting live bands. Moles also continues the connection with dance and dance music started by the Girouxs hosting dance acts and DJ’s such as Annie Mac, Simian Mobile Disco and Groove Armada.

So in 98 years we have moved from dancing at number 14 to White’s Nightingale quadrille to dancing to Groove Armada’s I See You Baby "shakin' that ass".

NOTE ON THE GIROUX QUADRILLE CHOREOGRAPHY

The Standard figures of Pantelon:

La chaine Anglais [rights and lefts]
Balancez a vos Dames [Balancez & turn partners]
Un tour de mains [Ladies Chain]
La chaine des Dames entiere [Half promenade]
Demie queue du chat [Half right and left]
Demie chaine Anglais
Contre partie pour les 4 autre [The same for the 4 others]

or to give a modern interpretation:

Head couples Chaine Anglaise

Head couples Balancez to partners, then right hand turn

Head couples Chaine des Dames

Head couples Promenade to change places, then half Chaine Anglaise back home

Repeat for the other couples in the set

The Giroux figures of Pantelon given in the Nightingale Quadrilles:

Les Dames en moulinet de la main droite, un demie tour, tour de main gauche avec les Caveliers de vis-a-vis, continuez la moulinet et tour le main avec leurs Cavaliers a leurs places [The Ladies half hands across with their right hand, turn the opposite gentleman with their left, continue the hands across and turn partners to place] 

La chaine des Dames entiere [Half promenade]

Figurez a droite [The opposite couples figure to the right]

Chassez ouvert formant deux lignes [Chassez ouvert forming the line top and bottom]

En avent, en arriere, reprenez vos Dames et a vos places [Advance and retire, turn Partners in places]

Contre partie pour les 4 autre [The same for the 4 others]

General Graham's Waltz

In about 1810 Goulding, D'Almaine, Potter & Co. published 'Goulding & Co.'s Collection of new & favorite. Country Dances, Reels & Waltzes, arranged for the Piano Forte and Flute or Patent Flageolet, by John Parry.'

One of the dances in this collection was Genl Graham's Waltz

George Goulding was probably in business before 1784. His earliest surviving sheet music is from 1787.

His address at this time was "The Haydn's Head, No. 6. James Street, Covent Garden," and he began to issue annual sets of dances from this address.

Early in 1799, he moved to 45 Pall Mall and took partners.

The new firm was Goulding & Co., or Goulding, Phipps, & D'Almaine, and they became music sellers to the Prince and Princess of Wales.

In 1803, they took additional premises at 76 St, James Street, and in 1804-5, they gave both these addresses up and moved to 117 New Bond Street, with an agency at 7 Westmoreland Street, Dublin.

In 1808-9, they moved again to 124 New Bond Street. About this time, Phipps retired, and the firm became Goulding, D'Almaine, & Potter.

John Parry was born in Denbigh, in northern Wales, the son of a stonemason. He taught himself to play the fife on an instrument he made himself from a piece of cane, and a nearby dancing master taught him the clarinet.

John Parry

In 1793, Parry joined the Denbighshire militia's volunteers' band and became its conductor in 1797. He became a master of the harp, clarinet, and flageolet and learned to play many other instruments.

In 1807, he left the militia and settled in London.

By 1809, he was appointed the musical director of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and composed much of the music performed there. This connection probably caused Gouldings to use him as an arranger.

Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, had been promoted to major general in the summer of 1809 to command a division under Lord Chatham in the fatal Walcheren expedition. An attack of malaria fever, however, compelled him to return home.

General Graham

On his recovery, he was raised to the rank of Lieutenant General and was sent to Spain to take command of the British and Portuguese troops in Cádiz.

The suggested figures for this dance are pretty simple:

1st and 2nd ladies and first and second gentlemen change places, down the middle and swing corners

The London dancing master Thomas Wilson's book, 'An Analysis of Country Dancing,' published in 1808, explains what was meant by swinging corners at this time.

Beau Nash in the Ballroom

In 1703 the year before Beau Nash came to Bath Oliver Goldsmith tells us that "Queen Anne had been obliged to divert herself, in 1703, with a fiddle and a hautboy, and with country dances on the bowling-green."

Even after Nash took charge the rules of the Assemblies were very ill-defined. As Goldsmith says "If the company liked each other, they danced till morning, if any person lost at cards, he insisted on
continuing the game till luck should turn."

Beau Nash 1750

It was against this background that Nash posted his "RULES to be observed at BATH."

1. THAT a visit of ceremony at first coming and another at going away, are all that
are expected or desired, by ladies of quality and fashion,-- except impertinents.
2. That ladies coming to the ball appoint a time for their footmen coming to wait on
them home, to prevent disturbance and inconveniencies to themselves and others
3. That gentlemen of fashion never appearing in a morning before the ladies in gowns
and caps, show breeding and respect.
4. That no person take it ill that any one goes to another's play, or breakfast, and not
theirs,-- except captious by nature.
5. That no gentleman give his ticket for the balls, to any but gentlewomen.-- N.B.
Unless he has none of his acquaintance.
6. That gentlemen crowding before the ladies at the ball, show ill manners, and that
none do so for the future,-- except such as respect nobody but themselves.
7. That no gentleman or lady takes it ill that another dances before them;-- except
such as have no pretence to dance at all.
8. That the elder ladies and children be content with a second bench at the ball, as
being past or not come to perfection.
9. That the younger ladies take notice how many eyes observe them. N.B. This does
not extend to the Have-at-alls.
10. That all whisperers of lies and scandal, be taken for their authors.
11. That all repeaters of such lies, and scandal, be shunned by all company,-- except
such as have been guilty of the same crime.
N.B. Several men of no character, old women and young ones, of questioned
reputation, are great authors of lies in these places, being of the sect of levellers

The balls were to begin at six and to end at eleven. Each ball was opened with a minuet, danced by the two people judged to be of the highest rank present. When the minuet concluded, the lady was to return to her seat, and Nash would bring the gentleman a new partner. This continued until every gentleman had danced with two ladies a process that usually occupied two hours. At
eight, the country dances began, ladies forming lines in order of their rank. About nine o'clock a short interval was allowed for rest before the country dancing continued. At 11O'clock precisely Nash would order the musicians to stop playing, by lifting up his finger. At the end of the ball, some time was allowed for people to rest and cool down before the ladies were handed into sedan chairs.

Although much of what happened during balls was determined by rank Goldsmith tells us that Nash would impose limits on the behaviour of superiors towards their inferiors in status.

"When he observed any ladies so extremely delicate and proud of a pedigree, as to only touch the back of an inferior's hand in the dance, he always called to order, and desired them to leave the room, or behave with common decency, and when any Ladies and Gentlemen drew off, after they had gone down a dance, without standing up till the dance was finished, he made up to them, and after asking whether they had done dancing, told them, they should dance no more unless they stood up for the rest; and on these occasions he always was as good as his word."

In a letter to the Countess of Suffolk in 1734 Lord Chesterfield gives us a glimpse of Beau Nash at a grand ball thrown to mark the birthday of George II on the 30th October.

Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

Chesterfield describes Nash as wearing "his gold laced clothes" and tells us that "he looked so fine, that, standing by chance in the middle of the dancers, he was taken by many at a distance for a gilded garland"

Mr I Walkers Fancy 1808

Mr I Walker's Fancy taken from "Goulding’s Select Collection of Twelve Favorite Country Dances for the year 1808" Published by Goulding, Phipps and D’Almaine.

At the time of publication Goulding, Phipps, & D’Almaine also known as Goulding & Co were based at 124 New Bond street and were official music sellers to the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Lanstram wake a dance from the 1730s

Taken from "Twenty-Four Dances for the year 1738 with proper tunes Figures or Directions for each Dance." published by Benjamin Cooke in 1738.

Benjamin Cooke (? - 1743) was an organist, music publisher and music seller based at the Golden Harp in New Street, Covent Garden, from 1726 to 1743. Cooke had, in 1723, married the widow of John Jones, who had operated as an instrument maker and music publisher at the Golden Harp until 1720.

His second wife, Elizabeth Wayet, the sister-in-law of Lancelot (Capability) Brown, gave birth to the composer Benjamin Cooke(1734 - 1793).

In addition to collections of dance music, Cooke's production included a seminal edition of the collected works of Arcangelo Corelli in study scores comprising all five books of sonatas and the twelve concerti grossi. Indeed, Cooke was, in many ways, a pioneering music publisher with his insistence on sourcing music from composers or their agents rather than other publishers' material.

The Foolscap and Bells

Taken from:

"Le Sylphe. An elegant collection of twenty-four country dances, the figures by Mr Wilson, for the year 1814, adapted for the German flute, violin, flageolet or oboe."

Of the Step called Jéte

ELEMENTS OF THE ART OF DANCING; WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRINCIPAL FIGURES IN THE QUADRILLE. By ALEXANDER STRATHY TEACHER OF DANCING. EDINBURGH: Published in 1822.

"Of the Step called Jéte, performed in the Fifth Position.

THIS step is derived from the Assemblé, and, to perform it, follow the same rule as for the Assemblé in the fifth position.

The body being placed as directed for the deportment, the feet in the fifth position, balance the body entirely on the leg that is before, which will disengage the foot that is behind; bend on the leg that is before, and at same time raise the foot that is behind on the point, which will make the knee fold a little; keep the knee well turned outward; extend it by sliding the foot on the point, just to the second position; then raise yourself on the foot you stand upon, and at the same time slide the other foot from the second position, into the fifth position before; but, instead of falling on both feet, as in the Assemblé, fall entirely on the foot that is before, and at the same moment raise the foot that is behind, by folding the knee to the side, the point of the foot turned directly down, and kept near the floor, but without touching it. Keep the knees turned to the side, in order to preserve the outward position.

The foot that is behind being now disengaged, slide it upon the point to the second position, bending at same time on the other leg, in order to repeat the step with the other foot, and so on alternately.
In order to perform this step behind, observe the same rule as to perform it before. Balance the body entirely on the leg that is behind, which will disengage the foot that is before; bend on the leg that is behind, and at the same time raise the foot that is before to the point; slide it to the second position, gradually extending the knee and instep, as you bend on the other leg; then raise yourself on the point of the foot you rest on, and at the same time slide the other foot from the second position into the fifth position behind; fall upon it, raising at the same moment the foot that is before, the point turned down, and the foot kept near the leg that is behind, the knees well turned outward.

The foot that is before being now disengaged, slide it on the point to the second position, bending at the same time on the other leg, in order to do the same step with the other foot, and so on alternately.”