Quotes Dances

She took off her cloak slowly, and stood forth in dove-coloured satin, worked over with pearls that trembled like running water in the running shadows of the trees. Still talking—more to herself than to the children—she swam into a majestical dance of the stateliest balancings, the naughtiest wheelings and turnings aside, the most dignified sinkings, the gravest risings, all joined together by the elaboratest interlacing steps and circles. They leaned forward breathlessly to watch the splendid acting.

This is from “Gloriana” in Rewards and Fairies.  As she dances Queen Elizabeth tells the story of how , at a difficult time in relation with Spain, she had had to send her young men out to fight the Spaniards, and how they had never comeback.

Then he begged her to give him a dance, and, as a great favour, she allowed him the fifth waltz. Luckily Five stood vacant on his programme. They danced it together.  Bremmil had a sort of a notion that his wife could dance, but he never knew she danced so divinely. At the end of that waltz he asked for another—as a favour, not as a right

This is from “Three and an Extra””  in Plain Tales from the Hills.

Mrs Cusack Bremmil has been depressed since the death of her child. Bremm has been neglecting his wife and philandering with Mrs Hauksbee.

His wife dons a splendid new dress and sweepd into battle at a  ball looking magnificent and dancing divinely.

Bremmil is overwhelmed and conquered, She has seized  commend and taken him back.

Then an elephant trumpeted, and they all took it up for five or ten terrible seconds. The dew from the trees above spattered down like rain on the unseen backs, and a dull booming noise began, not very loud at first … but it grew and grew, and Kala Nag lifted up one fore-foot and then the other, and brought them down on the ground—one-two, one-two, as steadily as trip

This is from “Toomai of the Elephamts“, in The Jungle Book.

As night falls  the end of the season the elephants are restless,. Kala Nag breaks his heel-rope  and silently pads off into the night, taking Little Toomai with him.

Deep in the jungle he meets hundreds of elephants who have come together to dance. Little Toomai  is the fist ever to wee the elephants dance.