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''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
It was published in several editions by John Playford and his successors from 1651 until . 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 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
Playford’s Dancing Master: The Compleat Dance Guide
"An exhaustive collection, catalogue, and index of all dances published in editions of the Dancing Master, 1651-1728", Scott Pfitzinger, CC-BY-NC-SA. Contains modernized scores and dance directions.
a comprehensive scholarly database allowing comparisons across all versions of Playford's work
Second edition
Tenth edition
facsimile at Library of Congress
What are Playford dances?
by Hugh Stewart, ''The Round'', Cambridge University English Country Dance Club {{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing Master, The 1651 books English music Dance education Renaissance dance Music books Baroque dance
''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
John Playford (1623–1686/7) was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churc ...
.
History
It was published in several editions by John Playford and his successors from 1651 until . 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 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
Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was an English-born collector of folk songs, folk dances and instrumental music, as well as a lecturer, teacher, composer and musician. He was the pre-eminent activist in the development of t ...
in the early 20th century. In 1957 Margaret Dean Smith completed her facsimile book ''Playford's English Dancing Master''. This work had been 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.
Known editions and supplements
* 1651 – 1st edition (the only edition to be called ''The English Dancing Master'', published by John Playford) * 1652 – 2nd edition * 1657 – 3rd edition * 1665 – 3rd edition * 1670 – 4th edition * 1675 – 5th edition * 1679 – 6th edition * 1679 – A Supplement to The Dancing-Master * 1686 – 7th edition * 1687? – Tunes of other Country-Dances * 1688? – A new Additional Sheet to the Dancing-Master * 1689? – A new Addition to the Dancing-Master * 1690 – 8th edition (the first marked as published by Henry Playford) * 1695 – 9th edition * 1696 – The second Part of the Dancing Master * 1698 – The Second Part of the Dancing Master, 2nd edition * 1698? – ntitled supplement* 1698? – An Additional Sheet to the Second Part of the Dancing-Master * 1698 – 10th edition * 1701 – 11th edition * 1702 – Twenty Four New Country Dances. Printed by William Pearson for Henry Playford * 1703 – 12th edition * 1706 – 13th edition (the first edition published by John Young) * 1709 – 14th edition * 1710? – Vol. the second, 1st edition * 1713 – 15th edition * 1714? – Vol. the second, 2nd edition * 1716 – 16th edition * 1718 – Vol. the second, 3rd edition * 1721 – Vol. the first, 17th edition * c1726 – The Third Volume, 2nd edition * c1728 – Vol. the first, 18th edition * 1728 – Vol. the second, 4th editionSee also
*Jig (theatre)
In theatres, beginning in Elizabethan London, a jig was a short comic drama that immediately followed a full-length play. This phenomenon added an additional comic or light-hearted offering at the end of a performance. A jig might include songs s ...
References
External links
* , scans of the first to tenth editions (1651-1698), and the 14th edition (1704)Playford’s Dancing Master: The Compleat Dance Guide
"An exhaustive collection, catalogue, and index of all dances published in editions of the Dancing Master, 1651-1728", Scott Pfitzinger, CC-BY-NC-SA. Contains modernized scores and dance directions.
a comprehensive scholarly database allowing comparisons across all versions of Playford's work
Second edition
Tenth edition
facsimile at Library of Congress
What are Playford dances?
by Hugh Stewart, ''The Round'', Cambridge University English Country Dance Club {{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing Master, The 1651 books English music Dance education Renaissance dance Music books Baroque dance