Jane Austen loved to dance the country dances popular in Georgian England. She also practiced country dances on her pianoforte. At times she played for family and friends while they danced. “Hole in the Wall” and “Juice of Barley” are two popular English Country Dances, even though it’s not known if Jane danced these tunes. Click on the following links to watch and listen to these English Country Dances:
The Juice of Barley, example 1
The Juice of Barley, example 2
Hole in the Wall, example 1
Hole in the Wall, example 2
Hole in the Wall, example 3
The Boulanger (or Boulangeries) was often the last dance. A simple circular dance, it was a fun way to end the ball. Not only did Jane Austen dance it, she had her characters in Pride and Prejudice dance it too. Visit these sites and click on the links below to watch how the Boulanger is danced and to hear music to dance by.
La Boulanger, with four couples
La Boulanger, with six couples with a nice flute and piano accompaniment
IMAGE CREDIT:
-image credit by Internet Archive Book Images – https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14596180088/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/novelslettersofj03aust/novelslettersofj03aust#page/n11/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42117590.
Jane Austen for Kids 