How to Curtsy Like Elizabeth Bennet | The Ultimate Regency Era & Victorian Bowing Guide for Ladies

[@sharlaidrey7898]

Maybe a little off toppic but one curtsy/bow that stayed with me is in the P&P 2005 where I think Eizabeth bumps into someone on the street and curtsies. Both actors made that interaction look so effortless, like it was an everyday occurence for them, that it made me long for curtsy and bow to be a standard interpersonal interaction instead of handshakes and such. It's easy, maintains your personal bubble and is so much more sanitary.

[@EllieDashwood]

I think I know the scene you’re talking about! It was so effortless and classy when they did it!!!

[@AMir-ln8uu]

It was Jane. I love that scene! So natural and graceful *chef's kiss*

[@elizabethca33]

Some part of me thinks that scene wasn’t part of the script. Like she accidentally bumped into someone & then remembered how her character should act in that situation. Regardless I love that scene

[@vbrown6445]

I'm more reminded of the scene in P&P 1995, when Elizabeth comes upon Darcy when she walks the 3 miles in mud to Netherfield to care for Jane. She is not expecting to run into anyone on the grounds, she's in a hurry to see her sister, she's muddy and frazzled, and she runs into the person she least likes-- yet, she still gives him a brief (maybe even reluctant) curtsey while greeting him.

[@SuperDrLisa]

I thought bowing and curtseying would come back during COVID

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Missed opportunity to say: “Drop a curtsy in the chat below.” 😂

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@delphinidin]

I loved in the 2005 P&P when the Bennets are introduced to Mr Bingley's party, and while the Bennets and Charlotte Lucas do a full standard curtsy, Caroline Bingley does the TINIEST curtsy. It's so in-character for how she viewed herself socially compared to them.

[@ItsRainingFireflies]

When I was a child my best friend did a 'princess school' and the very formal curtsey you showed is how she taught me to curtsey!! I wonder where she learned it from? This was so educational and honestly I wish I could curtsey to people instead of shaking hands! Theres something so grand and beautiful about a well executed formal curtsey

[@EllieDashwood]

Princess school sounds so amazing! That is epic! Also, I think it would be so cool if curtsying was a socially acceptable option. Like, you’d don’t have to do it but if you did people wouldn’t look at you weird. 😂

[@thegirlgonemad]

Did your friend do alot of ballet? I think its a move used alot xx my little girl does it xx

[@ItsRainingFireflies]

@@thegirlgonemad she did !! That makes a lot of sense

[@angelicasmodel]

@@thegirlgonemad interesting. At ballet, I learnt a curtsy where we stepped to the side, and brought our foot behind, and did a deep plie, like the modern curtsy shown here.

[@doutorametodo7159]

@@EllieDashwood I actually do a bunch of small, contained, head bows in situations such as the walking salute or as a thank gesture when someone gives me passage or does something nice. That coupled with a smile, was always well received and especially since the pandemic hit, it rapidly became my main way of greeting people. #bringbowandcurtsyback

[@thegirlgonemad]

Watching this my 5 year old ask what I was watching. Me: this how people in older time say hello Daughter: I do that in ballet. It a princess ballet hello. Me: okay Daughter: she's a pretty ballet princess lady

[@EllieDashwood]

Awwww!!! That is the cutest and sweetest thing!!!!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The curtsying is quite literally a character of its own in Period Pieces.

[@EllieDashwood]

That’s so true!!! 😂

[@jaimicottrill2831]

Lol, yes!

[@alanaw27]

I’m 70 ,and as a child of 6, in Scotland,I was taught to curtesy. I remember practicing for ages to get it right. I haven’t had to do it often but I have curtsied to brides as I gave them horse shoes or gifts for good luck. I have also curtsied to Prince Philip. My daughter was going to a Queen’s Garden Party and I taught her, just in case she met the Queen. She didn’t meet the Queen but we had a fun afternoon . I was taught to put the weight on the back foot.

[@EXOX-dm3lg]

The film Sisi by Romy Schneider was when I was first introduced to curtsy and I was quite surprised at the depth of the actresses' curtsies. Later, when I came to know how actually the female members of the British royal family curtsy to the Queen, I found that even though their dresses are far simpler now, they still make very deep curtsies. However, there is still a major difference. Nowadays, royal etiquette is far more flexible. The Duchess of Cornwall seems to curtsy in a very gentle way, while the Princess Royal makes deep curtsies. On one recent occasion, Princess Anne curtsied deeply to the King of Spain but received a hand-kissing by the King at the same time. I found it very interesting these etiquettes are still practiced alive today.

[@screamingseal1137]

without all those ceremonies the royals have nothing else to do

[@daffodilunderhill7066]

I didn't know I needed a video about curtsy/bowing today, but I did! You made it so fun and interesting to watch. I was sucked right in. Thanks.

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw!!! Yay!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!

[@dorothywillis1]

My candidate for Most Memorable Curtsey is in Trollope's "Framley Parsonage." Here it is. Lady Lufton … turned round quickly, but still with much feminine dignity, removing her dress from the contact. In doing this she was brought absolutely face to face with the duke, so that each could not but look full at the other. "I beg your pardon," said the duke. They were the only words that had ever passed between them, nor have they spoken to each other since; but simple as they were, accompanied by the little by-play of the speakers, they gave rise to a considerable amount of ferment in the fashionable world. Lady Lufton, as she retreated back on to Dr. Easyman, curtseyed low; she curtseyed low and slowly, and with a haughty arrangement of her drapery that was all her own; but the curtsey, though it was eloquent, did not say half so much,-did not reprobate the habitual iniquities of the duke with a voice nearly as potent as that which was expressed in the gradual fall of her eye and the gradual pressure of her lips. When she commenced her curtsey she was looking full in her foe's face. By the time that she had completed it her eyes were turned upon the ground, but there was an ineffable amount of scorn expressed in the lines of her mouth. She spoke no word, and retreated, as modest virtue and feminine weakness must ever retreat, before barefaced vice and virile power; but nevertheless she was held by all the world to have had the best of the encounter. The duke, as he begged her pardon, wore in his countenance that expression of modified sorrow which is common to any gentleman who is supposed by himself to have incommoded a lady. But over and above this,-or rather under it,-there was a slight smile of derision, as though it were impossible for him to look upon the bearing of Lady Lufton without some amount of ridicule. All this was legible to eyes so keen as those of Miss Dunstable and Mrs. Harold Smith, and the duke was known to be a master of this silent inward sarcasm; but even by them,-by Miss Dunstable and Mrs. Harold Smith,-it was admitted that Lady Lufton had conquered.

[@laurameisenhelter9186]

I remember learning how to curtsy as a child. I'm trying to remember what the situations were. I know we curtsied to acknowledge applause at the end of a school play or concert. I also have vague memories of curtsying when greeting my adult relatives at fancy occasions. This would have been in the late 60s and early 70s. Do any other women in their late 50s, early 60s remember this?

[@oldbarnmenagerie2783]

I remember my Grandparents telling me to curtsey when at church and at special occasions. That was back in the early 70's.

[@dorothywillis1]

I was born in Los Angeles in 1943 and have never curtseyed or known anyone who did.

[@monir7904]

I always had to curtsy when being introduced to adults or at the start and end of plays or recitals. This was in the early-mid 80s. I also was taught to extend my hands as if I had on a dress even if I wasn’t wearing one at the time. For my debutante presentation, I had to do the deep formal curtsy.

[@luannnelson2825]

Were you in Junior Cotillion, maybe?

[@suzanne5781]

Yes in Australia in the 1960s we were taught at school but I was taught left foot in front and back straight, hands held out slightly as you would do if holding out your skirt, it looks pretty 🙂

[@estherandreasen366]

So the super formal curtsey was used in almost all the ballet schools I attended. It wasn't called a curtsey it was a reverence, but it was actively used. It's cool to see where it came from.

[@madelinelamunyon7215]

I was gonna comment the same thing. I was in ballet classes for a long time and we would do it too but I didn’t know it was called reverence. Cool to see where it came from.

[@thebatmary5954]

Could you perhaps do a video about duels? I know Colonel Brandon duels Willoughby in S&S and that Mrs. Bennet thinks Mr. Bennet will duel Wickham in P&P. Even Elizabeth thinks that if she and Lydia had brothers, the threat of a duel might’ve deterred the latter. Other than obviously having to distrust attractive men whose names begin with W’s if you’re in novels with alliterative titles, much of what I know comes from Hamilton, and I think it would be an interesting video.

[@EllieDashwood]

I’ve had this on the videos I want to make list for a while! It keeps getting pushed off, but it is coming!!!

[@tahlia__nerds_out]

“Other than obviously having to distrust attractive men who names begin with W’s if you’re in novels with alliterative titles.” 😂😂😂😂

[@charlottec5802]

I've heard that there was a lot of etiquette around duelling, it would be interesting to know if any of it were true! Also, a friend if mine is convinced the Brandon/Willoughby duel was pistols, not swords as is often portrayed.

[@ziegunerweiser]

Dickens' story Nicholas Nickelby had a pistol duel over a lady who was disrespected and almost raped.

[@lisamedla]

@@charlottec5802 It should be. There were guns in most of North and West Africa 'bout that time. They shoulda had access to them.

[@DaisyNinjaGirl]

That was a lot more complicated than I'd realised. Thanks for going into it with such depth!

[@classicslover]

Ellie...you either have dance training, or you are naturally gifted with gracefulness. I took one ballet class in university (I did musicals) so I recognized the similarities. But I also noted both fencing and Jeet Kune Do stances. Of course with those, you would have your dominant hand/leg forward...and it would basically bring us back to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. = ) I consistently do a passing nod, even to people I don't know. First, to be friendly and second...as a large, could be perceived as intimidating-male...it helps relax their expressions of anxiety and trepidation into smiles of relief.

[@TorchwoodPandP]

Brilliant! You must come across as the perfect gentleman.

[@classicslover]

@@TorchwoodPandP (Bows deeply) Thank-you so much...!

[@WhitneyOpfar]

I was totally practicing my curtsy along with you while cleaning the kitchen. So ladylike 😊

[@EllieDashwood]

Awww! That is awesome!

[@rebekahedmunds7542]

I love "A Little Prince", and I remember reading that Becky always dropped or bobbed curtsies but I think Sarah bowed to her classmates and I always wondered why she didn't make a very low formal curtsy but I guess it must have been the time period. Thank you so much for explaining that.

[@saraa3418]

When I did opera, I had to learn how to do some 18th century bows and curtsies and the gentlemen were doing similar movements with the feet as the ladies and the bend at the waist was caused by sweeping the leg back and tilting the whole torso. A truly gallant gentleman would tuck his stick under his arm, sweep off his hat, and step back into the bend at the same time creating the effect of bending at the waist. Ideally he glances up at the ladies through long eyelashes with a wicked grin while doing so causing the young lady to flutter into a curtsy with eyes downcast.

[@penultimateh766]

I lived in Japan for a while and the whole bowing culture there is interesting. There are lots of subtle rules for how low you bow depending on your age and the status of the other person, etc. Westerners are told to not even attempt it.

[@mgm5215]

Love how classy you aré while curtsying 😊 And I love the red dress. I remember I bowed once when my sister had her 15th birthday party on a hallroom and got to dance with her. I was horrible at it, but it was so much fun 🙂

[@CheshirePhrog]

This is wild to me, I was always taught to curtsy without inclining at the hips, drop your chin and eyes only so you didn't have issues with low revealing necklines! To be fair I was taught this from a middle ages/Renaissance school of thought, verra different fashions

[@michaelhandy4018]

As I mentioned elsewhere this looks a lot like a Renaissance/Baroque bow, though with maybe more bending from the waist.

[@killiansirishbeer]

I've actually just joined a historical dancing club. Nothing too fancy, mostly just having fun, very friendly and good humoured group. This is very helpful, to get an idea of how you have to move for the different kind of curtsies and bows. Thank you ❤️

[@spinstercatlady]

I think I prefer the bobbed curtsey. It's simple, elegant and gets the job done lol.

[@EllieDashwood]

So true!!!

[@dorothywillis1]

In most of the references I've seen a bob is a servant's curtsey, although I must admit that little dip I see women do when the meet the current Queen is certainly bob-like.

[@MiljaHahto]

Bobbed curtsey is the only one I was taught as a kid in the 1980's in Finland - and seems like it has been taught here for at least the whole 20th century. Just... These days in Finland it's for girls, not for grown women. Yet I have seen 60 year old women do it in the way a young girl would, dipping fast like you see servants do it on screen. Not elegant!

[@jeanne-marie8196]

Loved the "burst" photography segments. Your research knows no bounds! Thanks

[@limon3383]

These videos are always super informative but also fun to watch 🥰

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you!!!

[@a.violet5905]

When visiting relatives in Nigeria so many years ago and also interacting with aunties and uncles, we would do a bob curtsey. With our grandparents, we would drop to the ground since they would do a lot of sitting due to their age. Thanks for another great video.

[@AngelaReyeroMartinez]

in Spain there's a difference between the legs while bowing: the most formal curtsies done with the left were for the royal family, and the right is always for God, at church.

[@oldfashionedsongs8436]

You put so much effort in your videos ! Thanks a lot, that ´s so refreshing and clever !

[@Ghargr18]

1:20 in older writing (such as Tudor) you hear of people 'making their courtesy' or 'marking their courtesy' which meant the earlier versions of respect, such as men removing their hat

[@sofiatgarcia3970]

Great video as always. Love the gown by the by! I think most people would curtsy or bow differently depending on the formality of the occasion. For instance, passing in the street would be a slight bow, but at a formal event, the bow might be deeper and more pronounced.

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw!!! Thank you!!!

[@mysterymaiden]

I work in customer service and the passing salute is what I commonly do to customers if I can’t stop and help them or if we make eye contact.

[@EllieDashwood]

That is the proper way to bypass them of course. They should be honored by your excellent etiquette! 😃😂👍🏻

[@dorothywillis1]

I think there are still remnants of these courtesies around in situations such as you describe. It's useful.

[@marypetrie3513]

The starting point is "first position in turn out" that ballet terms. Now what amazing is modern full ballet curtsy with the leg goes all the way back and down, then up again in full motion.

[@EllieDashwood]

Wow, that sounds so cool!

[@Melpomium]

Exactly. It makes sense that their dance master taught them how to curtsy

[@raraavis7782]

The movement reminded me of ballet!

[@simplystreeptacular]

I learned how to curtsey in ballet class too, and my legs just shrieked and recoiled in terror at the reminder lmao - and don't forget the sweeping ronde de jambe you just *have* to perform as you bring your non-supporting leg behind you!!

[@M123Xoxo]

@@EllieDashwood Example here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWLIh2WDnMiSeKs

[@sophiabreidfischer6242]

Thanks for rounding up all this information, so neat. I love bowing as a sign of respect or greeting and the curtsy is a nice feminine way to do it

[@lida7529]

Regarding courtesies, in my case it would be a slight bow of the head without breaking eye contact and keeping the hand on the handle of my sword. Yes, I used to do sword-fighting. Then I got a son. By the way… I wish as Ellie ranked Jane Austen's heroes and villains and villainesses, she ranked the chaperones: as I understand it, married women who accompany unmarried women in society - safeguarding their reputation and possibly also providing guidance and emotional support. In the order of appearance: Sense and Sensibility - Mrs Dashwood chaperoning Elinor and Marianne in Devonshire - Mrs Jennings chaperoning Elinor and Marianne in London - possibly for an absurdity bonus Fanny Dashwood chaperoning miss Steele and Lucy Steele (before she throws them out) Pride and Prejudice - Mrs Bennet chaperoning her 5 daughters in Hertfordshire - Mrs Gardiner chaperoning Jane in London and then Elizabeth in Derbyshire - Charlotte Collins chaperoning her sister and Elizabeth in Kent - young Mrs Forster chaperoning Lydia in Brighton (oddly enough, she isn't my candidate for the"worst" slot) Mansfield Park - Lady Bertram and Mrs Norris chaperoning Mariya, Julia and Fanny - Mrs Grant chaperoning Mary Crawford - Mariya Rushworth chaperoning her sister Julia Emma - does anyone chaperon Emma (Mrs. Weston?) or is she above such things? - Emma's sister chaperoning Harriet while she visits dentist and finally gets engaged to Mr. Martin And that's about it (Mrs Campbell chaperoned Jane Fairfax off-page and Mrs Elton is just annoying, not chaperoning). Northanger Abbey - Mrs Allens chaperoning Catherine - Mrs Thorpe chaperoning Isabella and the rest of her daughters Persuasion - Lady Russell chaperoning Anne and Elizabeth (probably sometime somewhere) - Mary Musgrove probably formally chaperoning Anne and sometime also Henrietta and Louisa (e.g. when Louisa acquires her concussion) - Mrs Musgrove chaperoning Henrietta and Louisa (I don't know how good chaperon she is, but she sounds like a pretty awesome mother) - for another absurdity bonus: Does the servility of Mrs Clay count as chaperoning Elizabeth? Sorry for the length, but I've been carrying this comment in my head for about a month, need the space and hope the comment section can handle it. Ellie, if you ever read this, huge thanks for all your videos!

[@athag1]

That’s a good idea. I think the Allens were poor guardians. Things turned out well for Catherine but no thanks to them.

[@felicityd9824]

This is very interesting, wish I'd thought of it!

[@estrella125]

@Lida. Very thoughtful summary and lots of work! But you then forgot to include the worst of the worst chaperone: Mrs. Younge for Georgiana Darcy in P&P! She was really evil!

[@athag1]

@@estrella125 Yes, I was thinking of Mrs Young too. She’s the only one with intent to harm. In terms of outcomes, Mrs Norris takes the cake because her misguided endeavours had the worst effects.

[@estrella125]

@@athag1 Ahhh, yes. Mrs. N. completed her mission of hate while Mrs Y. Was thwarted… twice. You got it right.

[@StarOpal]

I took dance lessons as a kid, and we covered curtsying. Good job I approve the form. But the memory this video really brought back was, when I was living in Texas, about ten years ago, it was the only place I've ever been where anyone would tip their hat or touch their hat in passing, and I just got in a habit of doing a head incline/lowkey passing curtsy while continuing walking. I dunno, it just kinda happened, felt right.

[@jspohl]

I feel like this could begin a new type of exercise dvd. Move over Taebo.Thank you. So very well researched! 🙇‍♀️🌸

[@Athlynne]

Thank you, Ellie. Your videos are knowledgeable, entertaining, and also relaxing for me!

[@EllieDashwood]

Awwww!!!! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy them!!!

[@a24-45]

So fascinating! i never knew even half of this. You gathered so much information in one spot Ellie, I love it. For you and anyone else who loves curtseys out there, here are 3 modern-day must-sees: 1. The Texas Dip. Without question, the most difficult and the most beautiful (when done gracefully) curtsey ever invented - so swan-like. I believe it may have been inspired by the ballet "Swan Lake". Mind-boggling when you see it the first time, as it's nearly impossible for the viewer to work out what the performer's legs are doing when it is demonstrated with a full ballgown. Debutantes train for weeks to do this manoeuvre, as it lasts a full 20 seconds and requires real stamina. To see it in action browse "Louise does the Texas Dip". 2. Today's royal women deserve real kudos when they succeed in making their compulsory curtseys look graceful, considering the short, often narrow skirts and ridiculously high heels of the modern era. Longer skirts with more fabric really do make the curtsey look better, and also make it easier to do. The older generation of royals aren't expected to be as agile as young princesses (though having had years of practice help), but first place for the most dynamic and elegant royal curtsey seen today is a tie between Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Denmark's Crown Princess Mary (who I suspect has had ballet lessons). When these princesses curtsey to a King or Queen (a reigning monarch gets given a curtsey deeper than that given to any other royal titleholder), it is super impressive. Browse "Crown Princess Mary curtseying" "Crown Princess Mette-Marit curtseying". 3. My favorite photo of a modern curtsey? Lady Gaga curtseying to Queen Elizabeth after a Royal Variety Performance in 2009. In full costume. Nice.

[@girlwithamic8021]

It’s quite interesting because curtsies are still a thing in modern theatre, if in some more archaic companies. Like, if you’re wearing a dress, you might still do a curtsy during a curtain call. I think that’s one of the interesting things about performing arts; a lot of places maintain traditional procedures that most situations have forgotten about

[@fruzsimih7214]

Curtsying is also a thing at Vienna balls. At the end of a dance, the lady curtsies and the gentleman bows. Some people may remember when a few years ago, Karin Kneissl, foreign minister of Austria at the time, danced with Vladimir Putin (whom she had ill-advisedly invited to her own wedding) and she curtsied at the end of the dance. She was heavily criticized for this at the time, but my impression was that she did this unthinkingly, because she was just so used to curtsying after a waltz.

[@cmm5542]

Yep, I do musical theatre and we curtsey all the time!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

2:45 Ellie Dashwood ‘dropped’ their Rap Album titled ‘Curtsy’.

[@raraavis7782]

This is so interesting. I didn't know, there were so many variations of the curtsy - since most of the time, you can only guess, what's going on under those dresses 😅. I do remember noticing, though, that at the court presentation ceremony of Lady Rose in Downtown Abbey, they did a noticably different curtsy, then in the rest of the series. It was much deeper and (to me) more awkward looking. I like the quick, fluid 'dip and nod' type of curtsy much better. And props to you, for researching and practicing this! It must have been quite time consuming!

[@EllieDashwood]

Thank you!!! And yes, curtsying in the royal court was its own special thing! This video did take me sooooo long to research. There is surprisingly little information on the topic academically speaking. I had to really dig in to books, manuals, journals, etc from the era and analyze a lot of illustrations and art. That film footage of the different curtsies from the 1880s has never been seen before. Mostly because I dug them out of an online archive as burst photos and then reformatted them to be able to play as a video. 😂 It was amazing watching them come to life.

[@elisabethn2893]

@@EllieDashwood Dang that is some dedication, thank you for your hard work as always

[@tessat338]

@@EllieDashwood Thanks for doing that! It was so interesting to see period clothing, even from the 1880s.

[@michellecrocker2485]

I’d love to learn more about etiquette. I love this stuff. Thank you for teaching us this important bit deportment

[@junipercats2472]

I had to learn to curtsy in elementary school in the 70s! They just taught us the simple modern one though. The whole time watching this I kept thinking about the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy met the queen. She probably didn't have to curtsy as an American but she practiced a very formal curtsy and got stuck in it when her leg cramped. The stop action footage you found was very cool, thank you for sharing it.

[@JacquelineViana]

Now I can go back in time and not make a fool of myself. Thank you, Ellie :D

[@EllieDashwood]

Yay! All the goal for this video have been achieved! 😃😃😃

[@elfae_m0231]

One of my absolute favorite bow/curtsy scenes is in 1995 Persuasion when the Elliots, Lady Russell, and Mrs. Clay go to meet Lady Dalrymple and her daughter. You can really see the differences in rank and personality/ degree of flattery. And I actually think all the ladies are doing the really formal style where you shift your weight. Such a cool detail I never knew before!

[@doutorametodo7159]

I had your content on my watch later list for a while and finally got to it today. I am going through the back catalog and I love your take on this beloved author's work and the period it represents. Thank you for that. In another note, I am a content creator educator in my community and I love the way you build your call to action within the content of your videos, it is so charming and genuine that I always find myself pausing to actually like the video, where I usually forget to do so.

[@habituscraeftig]

This is fascinating. I have no recollection of where I learned to bow, but it involved a unweighted pointed foot forward and a deep bow with a hat sweep. I've no notion that it was intended for women. The similarity to the first bit of the formal courtesy you showed was quite striking.

[@renskedunnewold1995]

For the end of the video, you should have used the clip from Princess Diaries 2 where she goes "enough curtsies ladies, back to your chores" :)

[@cmlspencer273]

How much do you think the dress fashions of the day influenced curtseying? So more narrow skirts would not have allowed a deep plie but court dresses were still hooped I believe until much later so curtseys to Royalty, at presentation, would still be very deep. Well done at finding early film footage, that's fascinating 😀

[@dorothywillis1]

Good point!

[@lisakilmer2667]

Well, young lady, you sure did a LOT of work on this video! First the research, but then figuring out how to verbally describe each movement - impressive! I suspect the middle-range curtsey/bow were dominant, with snobs/socially dominant people doing very small courtesies. The dancing curtsey is unnecessarily complicated and likely was ignored by ordinary folk.

[@stiofanmacamhalghaidhau765]

such a great video! love love love!

[@cmm5542]

I like the passing curtsey best, not because I'd be running past everyone 😄, but because it's most similar to what I already do in musical theatre for bows - only at curtain it's a bit lower and then you extend your hand to indicate the orchestra as you rise.

[@charlottec5802]

A very interesting video!! I may have practiced along with you... I'd love to try them out at a ball. My historical dance mistress for Regency teaches us to go from first position, take the right foot out to second, sweep the left foot behind, do a little bob and return to first. Men just bend from the hips, or do a slight inclination of the head. I'm not sure what the evidence for those are though. For 18th Century I've been taught just to plie in first position. The wide dresses can accommodate the bent knees! Men do a more elaborate bow with weight on the back foot, front foot pointed, bend the back knee and bend at the hips. Again, I don't know the source of those I'm afraid. Who'd have thought that the art of courtesying was such food for thought!! Keep up the great videos x

[@patriciaa4451]

If you're looking for complicated check out the Texas dip and the Korean formal bow "keun jeol".

[@jessp.r.7181]

Great ballet practice, looking forward to more! Lol. No but really i felt back in ballet

[@nokomarie1963]

All of these curtsies were familiar and very nicely done too! I keep occasionally seeing one out there that seems to be an absolute joke; it involves tucking your back knee under your right knee and descending in a sort of knock-kneed tangle that has to be seen to be believed. No idea what is going on with that.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Ellie, you look so pretty in your Red Dress 👏🏽

[@EllieDashwood]

Awww! That’s so sweet!

[@joana7497]

Looove this video. I love to know how people behaved.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Curtsying was the TikTok Dancing of Regency England.

[@sarahc4004]

This was so cool and informative!

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw! Yay! I’m so glad you like it! 😃😃😃😭

[@susannaalban4641]

When I was little, I was expected to curtsy when meeting adults who were not my parents. And yes, there were several ways to curtsy. Some were considered sloppy or silly or tacky so it was important to do it the right way.

[@bboops23]

Another thing that may have effected the curtsy, which you may have mentioned or may not is the corsets and dresses of the era. I've worn corsets on and off for 9 years. I've worn both overbust and underbust. I've worn off the rack and custom. And while I've never worn a period corset, I have watched a lot of fashion historians wear recreations and the era of your corset truly can determine your movement. I imagine the fashion if the curtsy was effected by the fashion and flexibility of the corset as well as the fashion and movement of dresses.

[@mildlycornfield]

The start of the formal curtsey is pretty close to what I was taught in ballet lessons when I was little, which a lot of us (me included) struggled to get right at the age of six 😆 The forward 'inclination' feels very weird from that background!

[@sweetsandcharades8383]

This is so fascinating- I never knew any of this!!

[@KajaKamisama]

I would really love to curtsy here and there but at the same time, I'm happy that nobody expects any of that anymore :D Edit: Thanks for the video ♥

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw! Thanks for watching! And yes, it is so nice to not have the expectation!

[@sweetlorikeet]

Clothing also used to be more unisex, especially court clothing in many parts of Europe and England, so it makes sense that most of the court movements were also relatively unisex. The movements in dances, the movements of greetings, many were unisex.

[@lizardqueen47]

When I attended a ball some years ago at Colonial Williamsburg, the dance master gently reminded the ladies to keep their heads straight and lower the eyes so that you wouldn’t have a double chin when you curtsied 😂 don’t know why, but I’ve always kept that random fact in my mind.

[@grassroots8165]

Reminds me a little bit of Undomesticated Goddess by Sophie Kinsella where she accidentally starts bobbing a curtsey and then has to keep it up! Funny and easy read!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Out of Context Ellie Dashwood: “You don’t have to go Boom Boom, you can just go Boom.”

[@EllieDashwood]

These are the essential sound effects ✨

[@rjones8568]

I really enjoyed this. I remember being taught to curtsy when I eight but I don't know why.

[@alicevonkannon1033]

Excellent video. I'm in the midst of tons of research on everyday courtesies, the sort of things people didn't often explain in journals and diaries, because it was so ordinary. We tend not to explain can openers. I very much suspect that the depth of the curtsy said a great deal about the rank of the person you were meeting, your own rank, or even what you felt about them. I've been mired in researching Napoleon's First Empire court, where pre-Revolution courtesies were making a comeback, somewhat refashioned for the new age. (So many people who knew the rules had gone to the guillotine.) Again, the info can be hard to get - a couple of my questions have stumped the professorial types. Getting an historical novel right is tough; thanks for the help.

[@moremileyplease4387]

2005 Price & Prejudice helped me understand tiarras. When a woman with a Tierra curtsies, her Tierra is right in your face! Especially if it has jewels, it's a total flex!

[@moremileyplease4387]

Excuse the autocorrect😬

[@muraalia]

I only know the ballet curtsy, which is a whole thing with side steps and arm movements, and we did it twice, alternating the supporting leg. I suppose that would be a little impractical for everyday ineractions. :D

[@angelicasmodel]

Thank you for this fascinating video. I got into Jane Austen before KZbin, so all my regency era history learning was done through books. It was fascinating to see the video of the formal bow, and all your interpretations of the pictures. Video can teach you so much more sometimes. I'd be interested to hear any knowledge you have on hand shaking please. Marianne mentions shaking hands with Willoughby when she meets him in London, and it would be good to hear what situations they would do that normally.

[@hannahduggan3599]

Elizabeth was my cousin's name. She died on October 18th, 2018.

[@foxenandfamily5060]

At the Renaissance faire where I perform in summer, we are taught to reverence (curtsy) our betters, that is, the nobles and the Queen, or anyone higher up than ourselves in the Great Chain of Being. These reverences can vary in depth (I, being on the older side, never do a deep reverence, but the young ones do, and it is always quite graceful), but the one rule is to keep eye contact with the person we are reverencing. And it can even be just a quick bob whilst walking to the next performance, a thing that I've never been able to perfect. Our reverence consists of most of the weight being on the front foot and just bending the knees and keeping the back straight. We never pinch our skirts to fan them out. For the men, the weight goes on the back foot and they make an elegant front leg with the toe pointed and that whole foot parallel to the ground, for it was an insult to tip the toe up and show all the street goop and offal one might have stuck to one's sole. If one's character is not fond of the one whom he is reverencing, one can tip up the toe, but only with prior permission given off-stage. Another insult, also never done without permission, is to show the inside of one's hat. All of this might not be completely historically accurate for actual Bristol, England in the summer of 1574, but it works for us and it also shows our patrons who the big cheeses are in our town. We are keen for teaching opportunities.

[@captainjaneway80]

Very classy, as usual.

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you!!!

[@MoondogMadness]

Those sound effects for the super formal curtsy had me thinkin i was being shot at 😩 my hearts racing omg

[@asiabryant207]

I really like the curt(e)s(e)y where the weight is on the back leg. It feels comfortable and reminds me of ballet (though they all kind of do). I also still like the modern one we commonly do today. The one that rocks front, back, front will take some time for me to get used to

[@MildredCady]

IIRC in some dance manuals of the time the gender neural term “honor/honour” to indicate when a man should bow and woman should curtsey before, during, and during a dance.

[@michaelhandy4018]

Interesting to see how similar the 19th century curtsey is to an 17th-18th century men's formal bow, especially the leg sweep. The only difference is that depending on the time and place, the men's leg would be straight.

[@rubysmolen5155]

love your content! video suggestion ranking Jane Austen's Heroine's

[@Laura-pk2fd]

This dress is perfect on you. The colour the cut!

[@jt1661]

Emma 2020 is the best !

[@SaraH-te9vb]

The formal one would be so hard to pull off with grace!

[@ilmaba1756]

Would the curtsey have a lot to do with the width of the dresses? The tighter Regency style dresses would not have the room to do a full plie style curtsey, where as the wider hooped styles of the 1700s and later the Victorian era would give lots of room under the skirt .

[@Heothbremel]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ For me, years of ballet curtsies morphed into Steampunk ones, among other things. Still love the excuse to drop one when i can... xD i do wish it was more common now. I'd skip the handshake and go for the curtsy every time if i thought i could get away with it. Curtsying is also a fun challenge game to see how deep and long you can hold it.... fun with friends, good for leg day xD

[@EllieDashwood]

Every day was leg day in the 1800s! 😂

[@lenamoser3888]

I once learned to curtsey for an awards ceremony where I was going to meet Prince Philip (the Queen’s husband). Ended up forgetting to do it when I was actually presented to him and just shook his hand 😂 (although to be fair he held out his hand).

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂 That is what I would probably do too! That is so cool you meet Prince Phillip!!!!

[@raraavis7782]

Well, if he initiated the handshake...did you even have a choice, protocol wise? Just random curiosity. I would assume, that denying an offered handshake by a higher ranking person, is a bit of an affront, wouldn't it? But it was nice of him to (presumably) wanting to put you at ease.

[@lenamoser3888]

@@raraavis7782 Oh, definitely, it would have been extremely rude to refuse the handshake. But I guess I could have curtsied and then shaken his hand. It was fine, though. Most people didn’t curtsy or bow but just shook his hand.

[@marit4241]

Hello Ellie, you deserves a like just for all this effort . Just watching I am tired and thinking about the knees conditions xD Oh and talking about this, what would be with old ladies if they have some health problem that does not allow them to curtsy properly? They could make other movements? I am talking about a "not so serious" condition, but something that still hurts if you do

[@AnnaIvanova-Galitsina]

Curtsying and bowing is such a cool topic!! In my life experinece, I had to do a Japanese bow and a Orthodox Christian bow, When I worked for a Japanese company, I was supposed to learn to bow from the hips or the waist. My version of it looked pretty awful as my butt would just recline or move backward. Then there was the pandemic, all meetings were on zoom and you don't get to practice bowing via zoom. Then I live in Russia where the dominant religion is Orthodox Christianity, where you are welcome to do "earth bows" in Church. You keep your body straight, touch your heart with your right hand, then lower it to the ground level. I guess it's the salutation of pre-Christian Mother Earth. I do yoga and can do pretty snazzy earth bows hahaha. I had a chance to practice curtsy bops when I worked in England and Norway, meeting roylaty. I dound curtsies dignifies. I kept my back straight.

[@hattyburrow716]

Fascinating

[@luannnelson2825]

I have to curtsey sometimes when we do historic commemorations at Revolutionary War battlefields. It’s really awkward to do in winter boots! Initially learned it in college when performing with a madrigal group, which also did a lot of medieval dancing.

[@ashlynnheller8400]

As a performer I have expirence with the super formal curtsy, usually in Ballet. And the modern curtsy when I can, especially since then I dont have to worry about necklines. I do think its funny that we still have a version of the Walking curtsy. Now its the head nod.

[@JR-sx3gl]

"you need to acknowledge your acquaintance" I like that, it should be a thing 😊

[@elsik2332]

Me and my sister were taught to curtsy after every meal or if we were given a gift when we were small, but it was just this quick little knee-bending bob, no head bending or arm arranging or anything.

[@nobirahim1818]

This is exactly what I need in my life! 😲😄🥰 I'll watch it later 😄

[@loum73]

I like the plie. That's wild.

[@EtzEchad]

I don't know how accurate it was, but the curtsies in the 2005 P&P look pretty practical. They definitely went out of their way to make them different depending on the situation.

[@kathileedean3851]

I’m very interested in the hierarchy from the Prince of Wales down, and the giving and receiving of courtesies depending on where you fell within that range. Also what the women’s titles were once they married into the peerage and how they gave and received courtesies to one another. Many period books make a great deal out of marrying into the peerage (such that I wonder if there really enough to go around), the higher the better, more important even than wealth. It’s very confusing. I’d love a chart.

[@rj3892]

Okay so I was practicing along with you and my thighs are so sore now! This is so much harder than it looks!! I actually started to breathe heavily too 😂 Definitely not a dainty movement in practice

[@lifelover515]

Hello it's me again. Thank you for your prompt and characteristically equanimous reply to my last comment and your cute practical demonstration, though I'm sure the Bennets et al. would have found your hemline quite scandalous. About bowing/curtsying, in British culture virtually the only time it's used nowadays is when meeting the reigning monarch or his/her direct family, and purely optional for the rest of them; and also of course in the standard choreography for certain period dances. But I'm sure you know all that. I think it's fair to say women seem more interested in the protocols of this aspect of advanced etiquette than men, with the former's sensitivity to the importance of occasion and of knowing how to 'play the game'. I lived in Japan for a long time (English by birth) and thought you might be interested in some brief notes about the elaborate culture surrounding the bow. First, the methods are the same for men and women. The type of bow may range from a slight bending of the back exposing the top of the head (not a curt nod, for that is a curt nod) to the deep bow with the back at right angles to the legs, all the way through to full prostration, though that's rarely seen nowadays. The main difference from Western cultures is in how commonly it's used. In Japan, everybody bows. To express deference or subordination, to show gratitude or mutual respect, collegial bonding, establishing hierarchy, performing ceremonies and concluding formal negotiations are the main functions, both in the workplace and at home when receiving guests. But here's the thing. One of its primary purposes is to show your 'Japaneseness'. The type of bow, the length, the deepness and most importantly the timing and appropriacy or lack thereof are precise arts that become ingrained over time from childhood, regardless of age or social standing to the point that people will often bow automatically while talking on the phone with their respondant nowhere in sight. Foreigners who attempt the Japanese bow are tolerated at best, but more usually a source of amusement, and occasionally taken as patronising their hosts. I soon learned that it's best not to. It's not expected and impresses no-one. If you managed to read this far, thank you for your indulgence. I'm sometimes amazed how many themes you can drag out of one author, and I'd like to see more of your diligently researched explorations further afield. Cheers for now.

[@lisamedla]

It's got me thinking of the bow and the curtsying in Maasai culture. When meeting a man of your father's age or there about, a young woman was expected to bow her head slightly. He would greet her by touching her forehead. If deeply respected this would be accompanied by a curtsy except with both both feet together. (Traditional african clothes would make curtsying with your feet apart something of a scandalous nature😂😂) The more I think of it, the more I can come up with scenarios where I've found myself instinctively curtsying. Like when meeting the bald men who would be half drunk negotiating my dowry for the first time😂 Maybe it is socially engrained. I think of Nigerian movies and ghanaian ones of the slight leg together curtsy to people they respect. For women that is. In fact I suppose the tradition of men acting as if they are unbutton their coat jacket in meeting someone they respect borrows from bowing. But I digress. The Japanese people really do like their bows it's true.

[@lifelover515]

@@lisamedla Interesting slant on the topic, thanks. I suppose there are subtle points of etiquette like this the world over.