Blog – The Historical Dance Society

06Apr 2025 by David Parsons

Playford’s Dance Steps

Saturday 10 May, 10:00 – 17:00 St Wulstan's Church Hall, Newcastle under Lyme, ST5 0EG John Playford’s The Dancing Master books spanned 1651 (as The English Dancing Master) to 1728. In that time, English social dance metamorphosed from earthy Tudor origins to French-influenced elegance – or did it? Spend a lively day learning well-known and less well-known Playford dances, with the steps that people of the time would have danced. Led by friendly tutors from the Historical Dance Society. A great work-out for brains and legs! No partner needed nor previous experience. Please wear loose comfortable clothes and flexible footwear. Booking and enquiries Whole day: £40 per person; £5 reduction for low income or members of HDS. Half day (morning or afternoon): half price. Tea & coffee provided; bring own…

27Feb 2025 by David Parsons

Summer School 2025: Dancing at the Late Renaissance Courts of Italy, England and France

Events, For dancers, Other, Summer School

The 55th Historical Dance Society Annual Summer School 2025 Friday 11th to Friday 18th July 2025at Bromsgrove School, West Midlands, B61 7HP Bal à l'époque de Henri III Oil on wood, d'après Hieronymus Francken, c. 1580 Musée de Tessé, Le Mans. Copyright © Musées du Mans Course Outline The aim of our summer school is to provide people with the time to study a range of dances, to improve dancing ability and confidence, and to have fun in good company. The full course provides an in-depth dance experience while the weekend courses are perfect for those with less time available or those just wanting to try out dancing of this period. You do not need to come with a dance partner. Participants will study with their chosen tutor in daily…

30Jan 2025 by David Parsons

The Early Dance Circle Lecture 2025

For dancers, For musicians, News

Reconstructing Seventeenth-Century Maypole Dance: Dance, Experience, Culture Main Speaker: Bryony May Kummer-Seddon (Associate Lecturer, University of Lincoln) with comments about modern Maypole dancing by Mike Ruff. 28 February 2025, 7:30 pm, on Zoom. Bryony’s lecture will explore the reconstruction of historic maypole dancing, and its associated traditions, with a focus on seventeenth century England. The event is free with donations (optional) but requires registration. See the EDC events page for more information and a link to registrations. The lecture will be recorded and distributed after the event if you cannot attend. EDC Events Page

30Jan 2025 by David Parsons

International Historical Dance Symposium 2026

For dancers, News

The HDS is a partner in the International Historical Dance Symposium. Here is the call for contributions. Preparations for our next International Historical Dance Symposium have been underway for some time. We are pleased to hereby send out our call for contributions. The 6th symposium will take place from 3-7 June 2026 at Burg Rothenfels in Germany with the theme "Transitions" Dance in Times of Change 1400 - 1900 We are looking for contributions in the form of lectures, posters, workshops, short performances and dance evenings. More information about the different categories can be found on our homepage. While our association Dance & History e.V. is responsible for the practical organization of the conference, Burg Rothenfels is the host of the event. Please send your proposals to Markus Lehner, info@historical-dance-symposium.org.…

22Aug 2024 by David Parsons

New blog series: A History of Country Dancing

News

Anne Daye has written a series of blog posts on A History of Country Dancing (with an emphasis on the steps). To date (22 August 2024) the first five instalments are online, with four more planned. They give a brief overview of different periods in the evolution of country dancing, for anyone wanting a quick introduction to the history or as the basis for further reading. Find the first post at A History of Country Dancing – Introduction

22Aug 2024 by David Parsons

A History of Country Dancing – The Later Stuarts

Dance history

A History of Country Dancingwith an emphasis on the steps Anne Daye, HDS Director of Education and Research The Country Dance of the Later Stuarts The Civil War and the Commonwealth caused a hiatus in English social life, particularly following the departure of royalty and many aristocratic and gentry families for France and the Continent. A new energy came with the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660. Samuel Pepys went to Whitehall on New Year’s Eve 1662, where he saw the King dancing: ‘After seating themselves, the King takes out the Duchess of York; and the Duke, the Duchess of Buckingham; the Duke of Monmouth, my Lady Castlemaine; and so other lords other ladies; and they danced the Bransle. After that, the King led a lady a…

22Aug 2024 by David Parsons

A History of Country Dancing – Early Stuarts and The Commonwealth

Dance history

A History of Country Dancingwith an emphasis on the steps Anne Daye, HDS Director of Education and Research The Country Dance of the Early Stuarts and The Commonwealth Court records indicate that the country dance did not feature at court after 1603 until the 1620s, while other records show its continuance elsewhere. As James I came from Scotland and his wife from Denmark, it is likely that they had little knowledge of the vernacular dance of England. However, my research into the masque reveals that in 1619, steered by George Villiers the Marquis of Buckingham, the country dance was used as a marker of English culture in diplomacy with the French. After that, it became a regular conclusion to court balls, following the measures and the solo couple dances of…

22Aug 2024 by David Parsons

A History of Country Dancing – Elizabethan Country Dance

Dance history

A History of Country Dancingwith an emphasis on the steps Anne Daye, HDS Director of Education and Research Elizabethan Country Dance Records of the time show that the country dance was current by the late sixteenth century, when ‘old and new’ country dances were enjoyed at court. We have no specific evidence for what was understood by ‘old and new’ at that time, but the lengthier long and round dances, also danced in open spaces, may have been the ‘old’ form, as Margaret Dean-Smith proposed in the modern edition of The English Dancing Master (1957, 35). Queen Elizabeth enjoyed seeing country dancing on her progresses; a telling account of her visit to Cowdray in August 1591 shows the social range of the vernacular dance: ‘In the evening the countrie people…

22May 2024 by David Parsons

Day Course: A Regency Dance Day with Richard Powers

For dancers, Past events

Saturday 3rd August 2024 10.30 -17.30 St Pancras Church House, Lancing Street near Euston Station, London NW1 1NA This is a joint Early Dance Circle and Historical Dance Society event Enjoy a whole day of dancing country dances, cotillons and quadrilles for £40 per person (£35 for students and dancers on a low income). No partner is necessary. You should be aware that there will be some photography and filming of this workshop. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. Lunch is not provided, so please bring a packed lunch or try a nearby cafe. Please wear soft soled flexible shoes as these will be best suited to the style of dance. There are no parking facilities at the hall, but parking spaces at the church can be booked via www.justpark.com In…

21May 2024 by David Parsons

A History of Country Dancing – Origins

Dance history

Anne Daye, HDS Director of Education and Research Origins I propose that the country dance evolved from the communal dances by a line of people. These still exist in local practice all over Europe, such as the carole (sung and danced), cousin to the kolo of Yugoslavia, hora of Rumania, horo of Bulgaria, the khorovod of Russia and la danza grande of Northern Spain. With a repetitive step pattern, the line travels onward guided by a leader, passing through the streets of the town, forming circles, spirals and weaving patterns in open places. Such a line can easily form into pairs to make further interactive patterns down the line. Two good examples of this genre in an elite setting are La Chiaranzana (described by Fabritio Caroso, dancing master of Rome,…

21May 2024 by David Parsons

A History of Country Dancing – Introduction

Dance history

A History of Country Dancingwith an emphasis on the steps Anne Daye, HDS Director of Education and Research Introduction A complete history of the country dance has yet to be written, and would form a major challenge. Here you will find an overview of the country dance from the 16th to 19th centuries, as a framework for discussion of the changing steps with which it was danced. The term ‘country dance’ is first recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary in the play Misogonus Act 2 scene iv, printed in 1577. This implies that the genre was well known at the time; if the play was written in 1560, then we can assume that the country dance was a well-established genre by the middle of the sixteenth century. The English measures…

26Apr 2024 by David Parsons

Day course: Dance like a Tudor

For dancers, Past events

An introduction to dances of Queen Elizabeth’s court Saturday 5th October 2024 10.30 – 16.30 St Pancras Church House, 1 Lancing Street, London NW1 1NA Teachers: Ann Hinchliffe and Helen Young What kind of dances did the Tudor court enjoy? Was dance important at the Tudor court? What were the dances mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays? What was a brawl, a pavan, a galliard or a coranto? Where and what did ordinary people dance? Find the answers at this practical day workshop with two experienced historical dance teachers. All the dances are based on extensive research into dance books and manuscripts of the time. You will experience some "English Measures" from sources associated with the the Inns of Court manuscripts – dances such as the pavan, almain, coranto, and galliard –…

02Apr 2024 by David Parsons

The Early Dance Circle Conference 2024

Other

The Early Dance Circle (EDC) Biennial Conference will be held 10-12 May 2024. The Conference brings together international specialists on historical dance topics spanning six centuries of dance history in the delightful surroundings of St Katharine’s Retreat House, Parmoor, Frieth, RG9 6NN, near High Wycombe. The theme for the 2024 gathering is Recovering Historical Dance: “We don’t reproduce the past, we create it” (Hilary Mantel). You can find more details at https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/events/#Conference

31Jan 2024 by David Parsons

Summer School 2024: Strictly Victorian

For dancers, Past events, Past summer schools

The 54th Historical Dance Society Annual Summer School 2024 Friday 12th to Monday 15th July 2024 or Friday 12th to Friday 19th July 2024at Bromsgrove School, West Midlands, B61 7HP The aim of our summer school is to provide people with the time to study a range of dances, to improve dance ability and confidence in dance, and to have fun in good company. We offer a choice of three weekend courses with experienced teachers at two general levels of difficulty/challenge. The full course provides an in-depth dance experience while the weekend courses are perfect for those with less time available or those just wanting to try out dance of this period. You do not need to come with a dance partner. Participants will study for a weekend with their…

19Nov 2023 by David Parsons

New Journal articles: Nathalie Dolmetsch

Other

A short piece entitled ‘Music and Movement - Music and Dancing -Dancing, Movement and Music’ by Nathalie Dolmetsch (founder of theHistorical Dance Society) was recently passed on to the society byLouise Bailey, her daughter. We have published a online in HistoricalDance a transcription by Anne Daye. Although clearly a first draft, assuggested by the titles, the topic remains relevant to historicaldancers today. To accompany this, we have a biography of Nathalie Dolmetsch written byAnne Daye. It paints a picture of a talented musician, dancer, teacherand organiser (she was also instrumental in founding the Viola da GambaSociety and began the historical dance summer schools) from a remarkablefamily. The article is based on written sources, on conversations ofAnne and Ann Hinchliffe with Marie-Louise Bailey and Marie-Thérèse Budd,Nathalie’s daughters, and on Anne’s recollections…

25Oct 2023 by David Parsons

Residential weekend: Dance and performance at the Jacobean court

For dancers, Past events

Now open for booking Friday 26 to Sunday 28 January 2024 at Halsway Manor, west Somerset Dances associated with Ben Jonson's masque Hymenaei will be learnt and animated for an in-house performance of the masque on Sunday. Tutors Anne Daye and Ann Hinchliffe will lead classes, respectively, for more experienced dancers and for improvers. There will be opportunities to sing, play (any portable acoustic instrument) and dress up, in the lively sociable atmosphere of a Tudor country house amid beautiful scenery. For further details, please download the booking form below. Organiser: Ann Hinchliffe, thedancingmaster@outlook.com or 07780 799 613. Bookings: Please download and complete the booking form. Booking form (MS Word) Booking form (PDF)