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ame time slide left foot forward. _2nd beat_.--Bring right foot forward by _glissade_, at the same time rising left foot. _3rd beat_.--Bring left foot slightly forward and _fall_ upon it, leaving right foot raised, and the knee slightly bent, ready to begin the step at the first beat of the next bar. _4th beat_.--Remain on left foot. Begin next bar with the right foot, and repeat the step to end of third beat. Begin the following bar with left foot; and so on; commencing each bar with right or left foot alternately. The Polka is danced with a circular movement, like the Valse; in each bar you half turn, so that, by the end of the second bar, you have brought your partner completely round. It was at first customary to promenade your partner round the room, doing a kind of _balancez_ to each other in the Polka step before commencing the valse figure. But this fashion soon became antiquated, and has fallen into complete disuse. The circular movement of the Polka admits of two directions--from right or left or from left to right. The ordinary direction is from right to left. The opposite one is known as the _reverse_ step. It is more difficult to execute, but is a pleasant change for skilled dancers, if they have become giddy from turning too long in one direction. In dancing the Polka, or any circular dance where a large number of couples are performing at the same time, the gentleman must be careful to steer his fair burden safely through the mazes of the crowded ball-room. A little watchfulness can almost always avoid collisions, and a good dancer would consider himself disgraced if any mishap occurred to a lady under his care. Keep a sharp look out, and avoid crowded corners. Should so many couples be dancing as to render such caution impossible, stop at once, and do not go on until the room has become somewhat cleared. In a few minutes others will have paused to rest, and you can then continue. Your partner will be grateful that your consideration has preserved her from the dismal plight in which we have seen some ladies emerge from this dance--their _coiffeurs_ disordered, their dresses torn, and their cheeks crimson with fatigue and mortification, while their indignant glances plainly showed the anger they did not care to express in words, and which their reckless partner had fully deserved. A torn dress is sometimes not the heaviest penalty incurred: we have known more than one instance where ladies
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