The Country Dance Book - Part VI - Containing Forty-Three Country Dances from The English Dancing Master (1650 - 1728)

By Cecil J. Sharp and George Butterworth

This is part IV of “The Country Dance Book”, a classic guide to country dance containing instructions for 43 different dances. Written in simple, clear language and profusely illustrated, this timeless volume is not to be missed by country dancers new and old, and it would make for a fantastic addition to allied collections. Contents include: “The Dance”, “The Room”, “Technical Terms and Symbols”, “The Music”, “Steps”, “The Figures”, “The Hey”, “General Instructions”, “Notation”, “Put on thy Smock on a Monday (Round for Six)”, “The Gelding of the Devil”, “Oaken Leaves”, “Sellenger's Round, or, The Beginning of the World”, “Hit and Miss”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on folk music.

• Language: English
• Publisher: White Press
• Release date: Oct 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781528767064

Book preview

THE DANCE.

THE ROOM.

THE following diagram is a ground plan of the room in which the dances are supposed to take place:—

A diagram, showing the initial disposition of the dancers, is printed at the head of the notation of each dance, and placed so that its four sides correspond with the four sides of the room as depicted in the above plan. That is, the upper and lower sides of the diagram represent, respectively, the right and left walls of the room; its left and right sides the top and bottom.

In Playford’s time, the top of the room was called the Presence, alluding to the dais upon which the spectators were seated. The expression facing the Presence means, therefore, facing up, i.e., toward the top of the room; while back to the Presence means facing down, toward the bottom of the room.

TECHNICAL TERMS AND SYMBOLS.

In the following pages, certain symbols and technical expressions are used. These will now be defined.

= man; = woman.

r. = a step taken with the right foot; 1. = a step taken with the left foot.

h.r. = a hop off the right foot; l.r. = a hop off the left