Regency Dancing – The Importance of Courtship

While doing research for WHAT A DEVILISH DUKE DESIRES, I learned that dancing in Regency England was not just for fun. Courtships took place at balls and assemblies in Jane Austen’s time. Here are some fun facts about dancing and courtship in Regency England.

Dancing was an extremely important social accomplishment, and any gentleman with two left feet was sure to embarrass himself and others. It’s little wonder that the Bennet girls were horrified by their cousin’s  bumbling on the dance floor.
Balls and assemblies were one of the few activities that men and women could enjoy together.
Learning to dance properly was de riguer and considered one of the genteel and polite accomplishments.
Fashionable schools sprang up to ensure ladies and gentlemen did not make a faux pas.
The wealthy such as  lady Catherine de bourgh hired private dance masters.
A family like the Bennets might well have shared a dance master. Such a scheme made it more affordable and it also assured sufficient partners, which was necessary for teaching.
Interestingly, children as young as ten years were sometimes taken to balls, but their families made sure such children learned the right etiquette.
The Duchess of Devonshire organized morning classes so that young ladies who lived near Chatsworth could practice and master the dance steps.Now for your entertainment, here is a video of the Hampshire Regency dancers!