File:Dutch New York (1909) (14579287479).jpg

Identifier: dutchnewyork01sing (find matches)
Title: Dutch New York
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Singleton, Esther, d. 1930
Subjects: Dutch Americans -- New York (State) New York New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs To 1775 New York (State) -- History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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ndthe round dance. When the followers of Voet be-came powerful, the dancing-schools were closed. TheFrench dancing-master then put his kit under his armand went to private residences to teach the young.Though objections were made to dancing, singing-schools and dramatic art were strongly encouraged;and if the authorities tried to prevent the use of organsat the public gospel services, they did not forbid thelessons in music. Singing was taught in all the schools;even in the Latin schools translated psalms were sung,and hours were set apart for lessons. In several of thelarger cities were singing-schools under direction ofclever composers. Dancing does not seem to have been taught in NewAmsterdam. When it became New York, however,the dancing-master soon made his appearance concur-rently with the fencing-master, presumably under thepatronage of the pleasure-loving English officers of theFort. The dancing-master, however, was regarded onmuch the same plane as play-actors, and other vaga-
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PORCELAIN AND EARTHENWARE RIJKS MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM EDUCATION 179 bonds. For instance, on Jan. 3, 1687, ^^ order incouncil required Francis Stepney, dancing-master, togive security that he would not become a public charge.On Dec. 18, 1675, Thomas Smith, fencing-master, waslicensed to open a school to teach the use and exerciseof arms. The Dutch were essentially a God-fearing nation.Religious observances formed an important feature ofhome life. No bread was broken without the head ofthe house first invoking a blessing from above, and themeal was also ended with grace. The father also be-gan and ended the day with prayer, reading the Scrip-tures, and singing a psalm. In some homes an after-noon was devoted to religious meditation and reading— usually the works of prominent preachers. Even thebaby in its mothers arms was present, and the firstthing the mother taught it was how to pray. As soonas the baby could walk, it toddled to church at itsfathers and mothers side. There was no period

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