The Triumph

Background Sources

In 1719 Walsh published The Lady's Triumph, but its figure bears no resemblance to the popular dance.

Graham Christian (in The Playford Assembly mentions Thompson's La Triomphe of 1790 as an early version (but I haven't been able to find that book.

In 1793 Preston wrote:

The 1^st. Lady set to the 2^d. Gentⁿ. & turn · The 1^st. Gentⁿ. set to the 2^d. Lady & turn ·· The 1^st. Lady take the 2^d. Gentⁿ. by the right hand & lead him down to the 3^d. Cu^s. place · The 1^st. Gentⁿ. cast off & his Part^r. all 3 lead up to the top together ·· the 1^st. Cu lead down the middle up again & cast off ··

This version has most of the eponymous figure: M2 takes W1 down, M1 joins them, they all come up in a line together — but it does not include a triumphal arch over the woman's head.

In this original version of Preston's, the woman gives her right hand to the 2nd man. This means either she drops hands at the bottom or her hands are crossed after she turns around and takes her partner's hand. Wilson has the woman and 2nd man taking left hands, this means her arms are not crossed when she leads up. Smyth (Edinburgh, ~1830) again has the 2nd corners taking right hands (ending with crossed hands). Washborn (Boston, 1855) also has crossed hands. It seems in Scotland and New England, the active woman has crossed hands, but from Wilson on, the English women had uncrossed hands.

In 1809 Wilson wrote:

3 PARTS

Single Figure.

The second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, then the top Gentleman leads down the second Lady, and the second Gentleman crosses over and leads outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up to her place in triumph ··, lead down the middle, up again, and right left ·.

Or thus:

Set and change sides ··, the second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, down the middle, up again, and right and left ·.

In A Pocket Companion for Young Ladies and Gentlemen (Edinburgh, 1830) Smyth writes:

The first couple down the middle and up again = The first Lady and second Gentleman down the middle, the first Gentleman follows, takes his partner by the left hand, and the second Gentleman takes the Lady by the Right; the two Gentlemen take the other by right and left, and hands the Lady up in triumph = And poussette. =

In 1855, Washburn (Boston) changed the title to Lady's Triumph and changed the figure slightly by having the first man come up in triumph too. Washburn wrote:

First Lady join right hands with second gent, down the middle, first gent down after them, take his partner by left hand joining his right with second gent's left, behind the lady, up to place; first gent and second lady down the middle, first lady after them, and up as before, to place; first couple down the middle, back, cast off; right and left.

In 1858 Howe (Boston) and in 1890 Schell (Boston) both give a description basically the same as Washburn's.

In Scotland, about 1872, J. F. Wallace's The Excelsior Manual of Dancing is the first source I have which specifies that the men arch over the lady's head (previous versions say the men hold hands behind the lady).

1. The first couple down the centre and back, leaving the lady with second gentleman. - 8
2. The second gentleman takes first lady down the centre, the first gentleman following on the opposite side of the lady, when the bottom is reached the lady turns and crosses hands, the gentlemen joining hands over the ladies' heads, also joining hands with lady then up the centre in triumph. - 8
3. Pousette - 8

By 1878 this had moved to New York in Tousey & Small's How to Dance.

In 1900 Arthur Morris's The Pocket Dance Book, published in Leeds, says:

The second gentleman, giving left hand to first lady's right, the two lead down the centre (eight steps), followed by the first gentleman.

The lady turns to give left hand to her partner, the second gentleman still retaining her right; the two gentlemen join their disengaged hands to form an arch behind the lady, and in this position the three return to places.

First couple lead down the centre and back.

First and second couples dance twice round each other with galop or waltz step, the first couple finishing in the second couple's place.

The figure is then resumed by the first couple with every other couple in succession, each gradually moving towards the top to become leading couple in turn. The dance, however, may be commenced simultaneously by every fifth couple.

Morris does not suggest music, but recommending a waltz step implies waltz music to me and makes an interesting change from the reels used by Preston and Wilson.

In the 19th century it was common to have a neutral couple between every minor set in a triple minor. Perhaps this allowed "lead down, turn, lead back" not to intrude in the minor set below. Or perhaps not. But I've never seen a dance the required two neutral couples before.

In Literature

The Triumph even worms its way into literature, and is used to show both Dick Dewey's love and jealousy (someone else walks off with his lady!) in Under the Greenwood Tree.

Some dance examples

Preston's 1793 version, without the triumphal arch

Shaw's interpretation of Wilson 1809 version, with a triumphal arch, probably the version most English dancers know.

Elias Howe's 1858 version, with the first man also getting a triumphal arch (and the 2nd woman not getting one).

In 1909 Cecil Sharp published two different versions of The Triumph which he found while traversing England looking for country dances that were still being danced in the countryside.

The country people seem to follow Morris's version of 1900. The lead down and up is not progressive, and the rights and lefts has turned into a progressive swing (Sharp does not use the word "waltz").

Finally we come to the RSCDS version. The Triumph is the second dance in book 1. The RSCDS gives its source as "introduced by Nathaniel Gow, 1808 published in The Ball-Room" by J. P. Boulogne, published 1827. The music is said to have been published by Aird, 1797 (and it is a different tune than the one published in Preston or Wilson).

The RSCDS version retains the quintessential figure, but that's about it. The "down the middle and up" is in a different place (and is not progressive). The "rights and lefts" have become a very odd "poussette". And the triple minor has become a 4 couple whole set dance, and the music has changed from 32 bars to 24.

Also the first man hands his partner to the second man, making the jealousies of Under the Greenwood Tree unlikely.

Original Text Comparisons

Bibliography (by date)

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