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 The Cushion-Dance (kush-shun) or sometimes Pillow Dance (German-Polstertanz) came to be about 1570 in England and was often done in Cotillions of the time.
It was often corrupted into the "Kissing-Dance," (German-Kissingtanz) by which a dancer would dance around the room an kiss another not dancing, whom they would now dance with. When the one who was kissed chooses another, they in turn dance then the kissee would kiss another and the cycle repeats with that kissee choosing another and kissing them and so on and on till all participants have been danced with. Sometimes a handkerchief would be used to kiss thru and the Kissee would then receive the Handkerchief until they kissed another. All would partake in this event from the lord, groom, bride, guests, duchesses, maid, waiters, butler, all were equal in this dance. |
The Cushion dance was also known by the name of "Joan Sanderson dance," which was a lively and mirth-provoking dance which made a nice mixer type dance such as parties and weddings, although it has now since died out. There is an excellent description of it in the "Dancing Master," an old dance treatise (manual) on dancing in 1698, which runs as follows below:
Joan Sanderson, or the Cushion Dance. An old Round Dance.
This dance is begun by a single person (either man or Woman), who, taking a cushion in his hand, dances about the room, and at the end of the tune, (kind of like musical chairs) he stops and sings:
"This dance it will no farther go."
The musician answers: "I pray you, good sir, why say you so?"
Man: "Because Joan Sanderson will not come too."
musician: "She must come too, and she shall come too, and she must come whether she will or no."
Then he lays down the cushion before a woman, on which she kneels, and he kisses her, singing:
"Welcome, Joan Sanderson, welcome, welcome."
Then she rises, taking up the cushion, and both dance singing:
"Prinkumprankum is a fine dance, and shall we go dance it once again, and once again, and shall we go dance it once again"
Then making a stop, the Woman sings as before:
"The dance it will no farther go."
Musician.: "I pray you, madam, why say you so?"
Woman: "Because Joan Sanderson will not come too."
Musician: "He must come too, etc." (as before).
And so she lays down the cushion before a man, who, kneeling upon it, salutes her, she singing:
"Welcome, Joan Sanderson, etc."
Then he, taking up the cushion, they all three take hands and dance round singing as before, and thus they do till the whole group is taken into the ring. |
