Quadrilles started becoming popular among the upper classes in the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian Empires in the 19th century. Gradually thereafter they spread to village culture, sometimes with the name kadryl’, and sometimes with others. The key feature of these dances is their basic formation involving four couples, each at the corners of a square (thus the reference to “four” in quadrille, and also the name “square dance” for a related genre in other language areas. The dances focus on formational work, with multiple figures requiring cooperation and memorization by the participants.
Kadryl'
Kadryl’ (quadrille)
Performed as a traditional local dance by the villagers of Dibrovo-Lenino near Borodiany, central Ukraine, ca 1957.
Filmed by Andrii Humeniuk and Oleksandr Spinatov for the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
ukrdance >> McFarland >> Introduction >> Kadryl’
