Caribbean Quadrille

General Background
The forerunners of Caribbean Quadrilles were the Quadrilles of Europe, developing out of dance forms originating in the French royal courts. The immediate forerunner was a contradanse, The Waltz Cotillion, consisting of two couples facing one another dancing six figures with the same chorus between each. Two more couples were added, and the formation was changed to square. In addition, three more figures were added. This structure was called a ‘pot pourri’ popular at the end of the 18th century, during Napoleon's reign. However, Napoleon wanted to get back to the peasant dances and the pot pourri was found to be too complex and so the verses were taken out leaving the choruses, which became known as the quadrille. Throughout Europe, the Quadrille was at the height of its popularity during the mid. 19th century.

 

British soldiers brought the Quadrille to England the after the Napoleonic wars while a Lady Jersey is credited with bringing the form to selected English high society. Thereby, reflecting the general social divisions of Europe, the Quadrille existed in two versions, one danced by the nobles and the other belonging to peasantry. The court dances of Europe emphasised etiquette, manners and formality, while the peasant’s version emphasised solidarity and togetherness. The former version was more concerned with visual effect and social appreciation rather than enjoyment. In contrast, the latter version regarded enjoyment to be of paramount importance. Two distinctive styles of a similar vein were also developed in Jamaica, known as the "Camp Style" and the "Ballroom Style", which were incorporated into one dance, characterised by the way the body is held and the floor patterns are formed.

The plantation owners brought the dance to the Caribbean, who use performed the dance on special occasions such as weddings, balls, and banquets. Due to the small numbers of Europeans on each plantation, it was common for house-slaves to have to take part in the dances to complete the number of dancers required. Initially, the enslaved servants taught the dance to the field slaves, using the dance to mimic and poke fun at the Europeans, however they soon began to develop styles of quadrille, which were their own.

 

During this period slave musicians often had to provide the music to accompany the pan-European ballroom dance styles of the era, including the Quadrille. Caribbean Quadrille music is integral part of the Caribbean Quadrille tradition and all Caribbean music developed within the period of colonisation, is the result of a syncretic blend of European and African influences. While the musicians were more than capable of remaining true to European traditions, they tended to allow their own aesthetic preferences to transform the music into something new, in time creating as many varieties of Quadrille music as there are versions of Quadrille dance figures.

 

The new versions became part of the slave’s social life, as they began to be performed at local gatherings, celebrations and holidays, as part of the rich tapestry of Caribbean culture. There are many, many versions of Caribbean Quadrille, as every island and every area within the islands, which dance Quadrille, have developed their own characteristic versions. Every version has its specific music and costume.

Quadrille was developed on a number of Caribbean islands: -

 

1. Aruba	2. Dominica	3. Grenada
4. Guadeloupe	5. Haiti	6. Jamaica
7. Martinique	8. Monserrat	9. St. Kitts & Nevis
10. St. Lucia	11. St. Vincent	12. Trinidad &Tobago