of great importance to all, but to the
ladies especially, which is ever strictly recommended in the
teaching of the minuet; but which in fact, like most of the
other graces of that dance, extends to other occasions of
appearance in life. This point is the easy and noble port of the
head. Many very pretty ladies lose much of the effect of their
beauty, and of the signal power of the first impressions, as
they enter a room, or a public assembly, by a vulgar or improper
carriage of the head, either poking the neck, or stooping the
head, or in the other extreme, of holding it up too stiff, on
the Mama's perpetually teizing remonstrance, of "hold up your
head, Miss," without considering that merely bridling, without
the easy grace of a free play, is a worse fault than that of
which she will have been corrected.

Certainly nothing can give a more noble air to the whole person
than the head finely set, and turning gracefully, with every
natural occasion for turning it, and especially without
affectation, or stifly pointing the chin, as if to show which
way the wind sits.

But it must be impossible for those who stoop their heads down,
to give their figure any air of dignity, or grace of politeness.
They must always retain something of ignoble in their manner.
Nothing then is more recommendable than for those who are
naturally inclined to this defect, to endeavor the avoiding it
by a particular attention to this capital instruction in
learning the minuet. It is also not enough to take the
minuet-steps true to time, to turn out their knees, and to slide
their step neatly, if that flexibility, or rise and fall from
the graceful bending of the instep, is not attended to, which
gives so elegant an air to the execution either of the minuet,
or of the serious theatrical dances. Nothing can more than that,
set off or show the beauty of the steps.

It should also be recommended to the dancers of the minuet, ever
to have an expression of that sort of gaity and chearfulness in
the countenance, which will give it an amiable and even a noble
frankness. Nothing can be more out of character, or even
displeasing, than a froward or too pensive a look. There may be
a sprightly vacancy, an openness in the face, without the least
tincture of any indecent air of levity: as there may be a
captivating modesty, without any of that bashfulness which
arises either from low breeding, wrong breeding, or no breeding
at all.

But to execute a minu