curtsy

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Girl doing a curtsey in the painting La révérence by William Bouguereau

Look up curtsey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A curtsey (also spelled curtsy or courtesy') is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures. Miss Manners characterizes its knee bend as deriving from a "traditional gesture of an inferior to a superior."^[1] The word "curtsy" is a phonological change from "courtesy" known in linguistics as syncope.

In more formal variants of the curtsey, the girl/woman bends the knees outward (rather than straight ahead), often sweeping one foot behind her. She may also use her hands to hold her skirt out from her body.

Traditionally, women and girls would curtsey for those of senior social rank just as men and boys would bow. Today this practice has become less common. In European cultures it is traditional for women to curtsey in front of royalty. It may then be referred to as a court curtsey and is often especially deep and elaborate. Further, some female domestic workers curtsey for their employers.

Female dancers often curtsey at the end of a performance to show gratitude or acknowledge any applause from the audience. At the end of a ballet class, students will also curtsey or bow to the teacher and the pianist to show gratitude. According to Victorian dance etiquette, a woman curtseys before beginning a dance.

It is custom for female figure skaters to curtsey at the end of their programs at figure skating competitions or shows.

The "Texas Dip" is an extreme curtsey performed by a Texan debutante when formally introduced at the International Debutante Ball in the Waldorf-Astoria. The young women slowly lower their forehead to the floor by crossing their ankles, then bending their knees and sinking. The escort's hand is held during the dip. When the debutante's head nears the floor, she turns her head sideways, averting the risk of soiling her dress with lipstick.^[2]

References

External links

• How to Curtsey
• The Lady's Courtesy in the Victorian Ballroom

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