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32-480: The Dancing Master (first edition: The English Dancing Master ) is a dancing manual containing the music and instructions for English country dances . It was first published in 1651 by John Playford . It was published in several editions by John Playford and his successors from 1651 until c.  1728 . The first edition contained 105 dances with single-line melodies. The 1651 book The Dancing Master by John Playford had been designed for teaching dancing. It

64-573: A country dance. Howe, in 1858, wrote, "The term "Country Dance" is the one invariably used in all books on dancing that have been published in England during the last three centuries, while all works issued in France within the same period employ the term Contra Dance, or in French "Contre Danse". As the authority is equally good in both cases, either term is therefore correct. The Country or Contra Dance has been one of

96-661: A feature that few other countries' dances have. Folk dances sometimes evolved long before current political boundaries, so that certain dances are shared by several countries. For example, some Serbian , Bulgarian , and Croatian dances share the same or similar dances, and sometimes even use the same name and music for those dances. International folk dance groups exist in cities and college campuses in many countries, in which dancers learn folk dances from many cultures for recreation. Balfolk events are social dance events with live music in Western and Central Europe, originating in

128-400: A number of modern dances, such as hip hop dance, that evolve spontaneously, but the term "folk dance" is generally not applied to them, and the terms "street dance" or "vernacular dance" are used instead. The term "folk dance" is reserved for dances which are to a significant degree bound by tradition and originated in the times when the distinction existed between the dances of "common folk" and

160-403: Is intended for general participation, unlike folk dances such as clogging , which are primarily concert dances , and ballroom dances in which dancers dance with their partners independently of others. Bright, rhythmic and simple, country dances had appeal as a refreshing finale to an evening of stately dances such as the minuet . Historically, the term contra dance is just another name for

192-467: Is no governing body or dancing for which there are no competitive or professional institutions. The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to dances of historical importance in European culture and history; typically originating before the 20th century. For other cultures the terms "ethnic dance" or "traditional dance" are sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances . There are

224-440: Is required to emphasize the cultural roots of the dance. In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as polka , cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom dance", ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention. Folk dances share some or all of the following attributes: More controversially, some people define folk dancing as dancing for which there

256-688: Is the Virginia Reel , which is almost exactly the same as the "Sir Roger de Coverley". The contradanza , the Spanish and Spanish-American version of the French contradanse , became an internationally popular style of music and dance in the 18th century. The contradanza was popular in Spain and spread throughout Spanish America during the 18th century, where it took on folkloric forms that still exist in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama and Ecuador. In Cuba during

288-539: The French word meaning "English") or Angloise is another term for the English country dance. A Scottish country dance may be termed an écossaise . Irish set dance is also related. A set is a formation of dancers. The most common formations are longways for as many as will , i.e. couples in long lines, and squares , consisting of four couples. The longways formation occurs in over 12,000 modern contra dances ; it

320-428: The morris dance and other early styles, the influence of the courtly dances of Continental Europe, especially those of Renaissance Italy , may also be seen, and it is probable that English country dance was affected by these at an early date. Little is known of these dances before the mid-17th century. John Playford 's The English Dancing Master (1651) listed over a hundred tunes, each with its own figures. This

352-462: The quadrille , and the "Eightsome Reel" are examples of this kind of dance. Dancing in square sets still survives in Ireland, under the name "set dancing" or "figure dancing". For some time English publishers issued annual collections of these dances in popular pocket-books. Jane Austen , Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy all loved country dancing and put detailed descriptions into their novels. But

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384-492: The 1820s, Maggot Pie , was published in 1932, though only in the late 20th century did modern compositions become fully accepted. Reconstructions of historical dances and new compositions continue. Interpreters and composers of the 20th century include Douglas and Helen Kennedy, Pat Shaw, Tom Cook, Ken Sheffield, Charles Bolton, Michael Barraclough, Colin Hume, Gary Roodman, and Andrew Shaw. The modern English country dance community in

416-610: The 19th century the contradanza became an important genre, the ancestor of danzon , mambo and cha cha cha . Haitians fleeing the Haitian Revolution of 1791 brought to the Cuban version a Creole influence and a new syncopation. The Engelska (Swedish for "English") or Danish Engelsk is a 16-bar Scandinavian folk dance in 4 . Its name comes from the adoption in Scandinavia of English country dances and contra dances in

448-511: The United States consists primarily of liberal white professionals. Folk dance A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances are usually called "religious dances" because of their purpose. The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it

480-454: The United States while in Ireland it contributed to the development of modern Irish set dance. English country dance in Scotland developed its own flavour and became the separate Scottish country dance . English céilidh is a special case, being a convergence of English, Irish and Scottish forms. In addition certain English country dances survived independently in the popular repertoire. One such

512-469: The author as well as authentic English dances. This was subsequently translated into English by John Essex and published in England as For the Further Improvement of Dancing . By the 1720s the term contradanse had come to refer to longways sets divided into groups of three or two couples, which would remain normative until English country dance's eclipse. The earliest French works refer only to

544-486: The court of Louis XIV of France, where it became known as contredanse , and later to Germany and Italy. André Lorin, who visited the English court in the late 17th century, presented a manuscript of dances in the English manner to Louis XIV on his return to France. In 1706 Raoul Auger Feuillet published his Recüeil de Contredances , a collection of " contredanses anglaises " presented in a simplified form of Beauchamp-Feuillet notation and including some dances invented by

576-563: The dances of the modern ballroom dances originated from folk ones. Varieties of European folk dances include: Sword dances include long sword dances and rapper dancing . Some choreographed dances such as contra dance , Scottish highland dance , Scottish country dance , and modern western square dance , are called folk dances, though this is not true in the strictest sense. Country dance overlaps with contemporary folk dance and ballroom dance. Most country dances and ballroom dances originated from folk dances, with gradual refinement over

608-520: The early 19th century. In Denmark the description "Engelsk" was used for both line and square dances of English origin. Only due to the efforts of Cecil Sharp , Mary Neal and the English Folk Dance and Song Society in the late 19th and early 20th century did a revival take place, so that for some time schoolchildren were taught country dances. In the early 20th century, traditional and historical dances began to be revived in England. Neal, one of

640-480: The early dance manuals: Sharp published 160 dances from the Playford manuals and 16 traditional village country dances. Sharp believed that the Playford dances, especially those with irregular forms, represented the original "folk" form of English country dance and that all later changes in the dance's long history were corruptions. This view is no longer held . The first collection of modern English country dances since

672-715: The first publication of English dance tunes and her publication established her as the expert on this work. Dances from the book, in reconstructed forms, remain popular among dancers today. Early versions of the book are rare and command high prices. English country dance As a musical form written in 4 or 8 time, the contredanse was used by Beethoven and Mozart. Beethoven's 6 Ecosaises WoO83 are dated to 1806. Mozart's 6 Ländlerische Tänze, K.606 are dated to 1791. Introduced to South America by French immigrants, Country Dance had great influence upon Latin American music as contradanza . The Anglais (from

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704-494: The first to do so, was principally known for her work in ritual dances, but Cecil Sharp , in the six volumes of his Country Dance Book , published between 1909 and 1922, attempted to reconstruct English country dance as it was performed at the time of Playford, using the surviving traditional English village dances as a guide, as the manuals defined almost none of the figures described. Sharp and his students were, however, almost wholly concerned with English country dances as found in

736-409: The longways form as contradanse , which allowed the false etymology of "a dance in which lines dance opposite one another". The square-set type also had its vogue in France and spread to much of Europe, Russia and North America during the later 18th century as the quadrille and the cotillion . These usually require a group of eight people, a couple along each side. " Les Lanciers ", a descendant of

768-635: The most popular amusements in the British Isles, France, and other continental countries from time immemorial". However, "contra dance" is most commonly used today to refer to a specific American genre called contra dance. Country dances began to influence courtly dance in the 15th century and became particularly popular at the court of Elizabeth I of England . Many references to country dancing and titles shared with known 17th-century dances appear from this time, though few of these can be shown to refer to English country dance. While some early features resemble

800-753: The treatise." Wilson was writing about his own period. In fact, there are numerous dances for two couples, and quite a few for three or five dancers. A figure is a pattern that the dancers trace along the floor, simple ones such as Circle Left are intuitive and can be danced with no prior knowledge, while complex moves such as Strip the willow need to be taught. The stepping and style of dancing varies by region and by period. Wilson, in 1820, wrote, "Country Dance Figures are certain Movements or Directions formed in Circular, Half Circular, Serpentine, Angular, Straight Lines, etc. etc. drawn out into different Lengths, adapted to

832-505: The various Strains of Country Dance Music." . Again, the possible figures are limited only by the imagination of the choreographer. Examples of some of the figures are provided in the Glossary of country dance terms . The music most commonly associated with country dancing is folk/country/traditional/historical music, however modern bands are experimenting with countless other genres. While some dances may have originated on village greens ,

864-643: The vast majority were, and still are, written by dancing masters and choreographers. Each dance consists of a series of figures, hopefully smoothly linked together, designed to fit to the chosen music. The most common form of music is 32 bar jigs or reels, but any music suitable for dancing can be used. In most dances the dancers will progress to a new position so that the next time through the music they are dancing with different people. While English folk dance clubs generally embrace all types of country dance, American English country dance groups tend to exclude modern contra dances and square dances . Country dancing

896-469: The vogue for the waltz and the quadrille ousted the country dance from English ballrooms in the early 19th century, though Scottish country dance remained popular. The English country dance and the French contredanse , arriving independently in the American colonies, became the New England contra dance , which experienced a resurgence in the mid-20th century. The quadrille evolved into square dance in

928-459: The years. People familiar with folk dancing can often determine what country a dance is from even if they have not seen that particular dance before. Some countries' dances have features that are unique to that country, although neighboring countries sometimes have similar features. For example, the German and Austrian schuhplattling dance consists of slapping the body and shoes in a fixed pattern,

960-524: Was also the most popular formation in all the dance publications of the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 2003, Burleson's Square Dancer's Encyclopedia listed 5125 calls or figures. Circles and fixed-length longways sets are also very common, but the possible formations are limited only by the imagination of the choreographer. Thomas Wilson, in 1808, wrote, "A Country Dance is composed of an indefinite number of persons, not less than six, but as many more as chuse, but six are sufficient to perform any figure in

992-402: Was enormously popular, reprinted constantly for 80 years and much enlarged. Playford and his successors had a practical monopoly on the publication of dance manuals until 1711, and ceased publishing around 1728. During this period English country dances took a variety of forms including finite sets for two, three and four couples as well as circles and squares. The country dance was introduced to

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1024-465: Was originally small so that the dancing master could hide it under his cloak and consult it surreptitiously. Subsequent editions introduced new songs and dances, while dropping others, and the work eventually encompassed three volumes. Dances from The Dancing Master were re-published in arrangements by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century. In 1957 Margaret Dean Smith completed her facsimile book Playford's English Dancing Master . This work had been

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