Dancing in the 19th century

[mightymads]

In this famous scene Watson says that Holmes taught him how to dance. But in actuality where did gentlemen learn this art? (Ladies did probably at home). Was it an obligatory part of homeschooling? But some attended public schools from quite an early age. Was it included in the school curriculum then? A cursory search returned some 19th century manuals on dancing, but dancing is all about practice. You can read as much as you want and hardly learn anything without trying it.

If anyone has links to sources about it or knows something, please help?



PS gifs are not mine, found via google

Comments

[mightymads]

What a great anecdote! It’s so difficult to find anything at all about ballroom dancing in the 19th century. Only in someone’s memoirs, I suppose. Alas, Doyle said nothing in his about how he was taught.