What is a lancers dance and how long has it been raising a ruckus in the Royal City?
According to the Royal Lancers, the dances performed at May Day gained popularity in England during the reign of Queen Victoria. In New Westminster, the Royal Lancers have performed the traditional dances with members of the May Queen Suite for more than a century.
“Originating in France, the dancing of the Royal Lancers is a traditional component of New Westminster’s May Day,” said a document from the Royal Lancers. “The dances are a quadrille or type of square dance introduced to England in the early 1800s and gained popularity when Queen Victoria danced it at every state ball. The dances remain a favourite today at many cultural and dance events in England and Europe.”
(Queen Victoria named New Westminster after her favourite neighbourhood in London, thus giving the New West the Royal City moniker.)
Through the years, the Royal Lancers have danced with members of the May Queen Suite at the annual May Day ball or banquet. Once every five years, they dance at the May Day ceremony in Queen’s Park.
Archie and Dale Miller of A Sense of History Research Services have compiled a history of the Royal Lancers that shows references to the Lancers dancing at the May Day Ball as early as 1902. While it’s been rumoured the Lancers began dancing with the May Queen Suite when the girls’ fathers went off to war, the Millers say that’s not the case and the Lancers have always consisted of community leaders.
Here’s a brief look back at the current controversy.
July 2013: Coun. Chuck Puchmayr puts forward a motion that the city have discussions with the school district about modernizing the Lancers’ dance at May Day.
March 2014: The city writes to the Royal Lancers and invites them to have discussion with council.
April 2014: A number of Royal Lancers arrive at city hall for the meeting with council to find it cancelled because there isn’t quorum. Instead, they meet with then Mayor Wayne Wright and Coun. Jaimie McEvoy.
May 2014: The Royal Lancers recommend the waltzes be eliminated from the dances with the May Queen Suite and suggest new seating arrangements at the May Day banquet. The changes are accepted and are in place for the 2014 banquet.
February 2015: The New Westminster school district writes to city council to clarity the district’s position in regards to the Royal Lancers.
March 2015: Mayor Jonathan Cote writes to David MacGrotty, chair of the Royal Lancers, stating the city has decided to change the format of the city’s May Day banquet to focus exclusively on the May Queen Suite and the Royal Knights.
April 13, 2015: Dozens of supporters of the Royal Lancers’ dance fill council chambers to show support for the New Westminster tradition and to urge council to reverse its decision.
April 20, 2015: New Westminster city council agrees to have three councillors meet with the Royal Lancers to discuss their role in May Day.
