, called
The Cotillion, is the earliest possible reference to a dance with this name. The name
cotillion appears to have been in use as a dance-name at the beginning of the 18th century but, though it was only ever identified as a sort of
country dance, it is impossible to say of what it consisted at that early date. As we first encounter it, it consists of a main "figure" that varied from dance to dance and was interspersed with "changes" – a number of different figures that broke out of the square formation, often decided spontaneously by the leading couple or by a caller or "conductor". Each of these was designed to fit a tune of eight or occasionally sixteen
measures of 2/4 time. Participants exchanged partners within the formation network of the dance. "Changes" included the "Great Ring", a simple
circle dance with which the dance often began, as well as smaller Ladies' and Gentlemen's rings, top and bottom and sides rings, and chains. Other changes included the , and . A complete dance composed of a prescribed order of these was called a "set". The cotillion was introduced into England by 1766 and to the United States in about 1772. In England from that time onwards there are a large number of references stressing its universal popularity in the best and highest circles of society, and many teaching manuals were published to help recall the vast number of changes that were invented. There is a reference in
Robert Burns's 1790 poem ''
Tam o' Shanter'' to the "cotillion brent-new frae France" (brand new from France). Dancing masters differed as to the exact way of doing these dances: some, recognising the affair as an English country dance, taught that the steps and jumps of these were appropriate, while others insisted upon French elegance, recommending the basic step of the
gavotte or the
minuet. In reality many participants simply walked through the figure and changes, seeing these as the dance and the exact steps as dispensable. On the other hand, some figures required high skill at social dancing and many performances took place at which the majority preferred to watch rather than dance. Here, too, waltzes, mazurkas, fun, games and boisterous behaviour at private parties took on a more important role, and only some figures of the earlier dances survived. Finally the term
cotillion was used to refer to the
ball itself and the cotillion and quadrille became the
square dance. ==See also==