Alert Janeite and Occasional AustenBlogger Allison T. pointed us to a fascinating post at Susan de Guardiola’s blog, Capering & Kickery: “Real Regency Dancers Don’t Turn Single: Ten Tips for Judging Authenticity.” You think you’ve seen authentic dancing in period films? Most likely not, according to Ms. de Guardiola.

6. Real Regency Dancers Really Reel

Regency-era dancing was not limited to longways country dances. The Scotch Reel was also in the repertoire, though perhaps not always considered perfectly genteel, especially if others in the room were doing country dances. Mr. Darcy was not being complimentary in Pride and Prejudice when he asked

“Do you not feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?”

In its simplest form, the reel consisted of three or four people alternating between the interweaving hey figure and dancing in place, with the men in particular showing off their fancy footwork.

We cannot convey how completely delighted we are with the idea of Cranky McJerkpants doing a Highland fling. Do check out the whole post, it is just loaded with information on period dancing.

Review by Allison T.

Long ago, in the dark ages of 1999, when mastodons and cave men roamed the earth and there were “comparatively” few Jane Austen sequels out there (“comparatively” being a word used cautiously, meaning that there were already a lot of sequels published but certainly fewer than the scores produced annually in recent years), Mary Street’s The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy appeared to soothe the breasts of Darcy-fans craving another fix of their favorite hero. They were satisfied and life was good, except that the book was printed in a small run and became very difficult to find.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy is now being reprinted by Berkley Publishing Group for the delight of a new generation of Darcy-lovers. They will not be disappointed—this is a straight-forward retelling of the story from the gentleman’s viewpoint. “I know not how Miss Elizabeth Bennet contrived to bring herself to my notice throughout the course of that evening,” the Confession begins, and from this promising point plunges directly into an engaging exploration of Darcy’s feelings. (more…)

Speaking of plays (which we are below, if you read this from the top down), Ms. Place wrote to tell us that she is giving away a CD from “Pride and Prejudice, the Musical” on the Jane Austen Today blog. Pick your dream cast for a musical P&P and win a chance at the CD.

Three more Jane Austen stage adaptations have come to our attention. As always, if you attend any of these plays, send a report!

The Eatontown Playhouse in Eatontown, New Jersey, will present the Jon Jory adaptation of Pride and Prejudice from May 2-24, 2008. Auditions are being held on March 20, if you’re interested in living the dream.

Geva Theatre in Rochester, New York, will also present a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice from May 21 through June 22.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will present the Paul Gordon musical adaptation of Emma from September 2 through October 3, 2008.

Thanks to Alert Janeites Lisa and Baja Janeite for passing on play news.

Many British newspapers are carrying the story this weekend of Cheryl Johnson, who claims to have experienced a personality transformation after receiving a kidney transplant. What sort of personality transplant? Glad you asked:

Now, not only has her personality changed, the single mother also claims that her tastes in literature have taken a dramatic turn. Whereas she only used to read low-brow novels, Dostoevsky has become her author of choice since the transplant.

Miss Johnson, from Penwortham, in Preston, Lancs, said: “You pick up your characteristics from your donor. My son said when I first had the transplant, I went stroppy and snappy - that wasn’t me.

“I have always loved books but I’ve started to read classics like Jane Austen and Dostoevsky. I found myself reading Persuasion.”

An excellent choice.

ETA because we are kicking ourself for not thinking of it before: would that change the quote from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Janeites” to “Well, as pore Macklin said, it’s a very select Society, an’ you’ve got to be a Janeite in your ’eart kidney, or you won’t have any success.”