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| The English Dancing Master | |
|---|---|
| Name | The English Dancing Master |
| Author | John Playford |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Dance, Music |
| Publisher | John Playford |
| Pub date | 1651 |
| Pages | various |
The English Dancing Master is a mid-17th-century collection of dance instructions and musical tunes compiled by John Playford, first published in 1651 in London. The work functioned as a practical manual for country dances and as a printed repository connecting the social worlds of Restoration Charles II-era balls, Samuel Pepys's diaries, and provincial assemblies in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Over successive issues it documented evolving tastes that intersected with composers, publishers, and performers active in 17th century British cultural life.
Playford, a London bookseller associated with the Stationers' Company and the Royal Society milieu, produced the book during the Interregnum (England) and the early Restoration (England) period, a time marked by the return of Charles II and revived public entertainments. The manual emerged alongside other printed works such as John Playford (publisher)'s music publications and followed printing precedents set by William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons in the context of artisanal print culture. Playford relied on networks that included dance masters, militia bands, parish musicians, and patrons from houses like Whitehall Palace and civic centers such as Oxford and Cambridge. The initial 1651 imprint quickly spawned multiple editions that reflect the commercial practices of the London book trade and the copyright sensibilities later formalized in statutes like the Statute of Anne.
The book compiles named country dances with corresponding tunes, listing titles such as familiar airs that circulated in households and on stage. Each entry pairs a melody with concise directions for steps and figures, intended for practice by bachelors, militia officers, guild members, visiting diplomats, and royal courtiers. Playford’s organization groups dances by tune-type and occasion, mirroring the repertories found at venues like Masque of Beauty-style entertainments and provincial assemblies in York and Bristol. The layout reflects contemporary printing conventions employed by firms including Benjamin Motte and draws on earlier Iberian and French models seen in collections associated with Louis XIV's court and the output of publishers in Amsterdam and Paris.
The book documents dance forms such as longways sets, triple-time jigs, country dances, and branles, which were performed to airs reminiscent of compositions by Henry Purcell, Thomas Morley, and contemporaries. Playford’s notation emphasizes melody lines for viol, fiddle, lute, and recorder, paralleling repertories in manuscripts connected to John Playford (publisher)'s contemporaries like William Lawes and Matthew Locke. Instructions assume familiarity with steps transmitted by masters including Robert Plot-era practitioners and itinerant teachers from counties such as Somerset, Sussex, and Norfolk. The tunes often circulate in manuscript families related to collections by John Hilton, Christopher Simpson, and continental sources tied to Alessandro Stradella-influenced ornamentation.
From the original 1651 imprint the work expanded through numerous editions in 1651–1728, with notable revised issues reflecting additions by editors and dance masters in London printing houses. Later printings incorporated new titles and tunes parallel to changing tastes influenced by performers like Samuel Wesley and the patronage of salons associated with figures such as Anne, Duchess of York and noble households in Lancashire and Cornwall. Surviving copies in repositories like the British Library, Bodleian Library, and the V&A show typographical variants and communal ownership marks linking them to clubs, inns, and civic guilds. Scholarly editors in the 20th century, connected to institutions including Oxford University Press and the Royal Academy of Dance, produced critical editions that sought to reconstruct original musical texts and choreographic directions.
The manual shaped social dancing across classes, influencing performers, composers, and collectors from parish clerks to court musicians. Its tunes were adapted by composers in domestic music-making, appearing in collections associated with Thomas Tallis's legacy and later arrangements by figures such as William Byrd-inspired editors. The work informed theatrical choreography in plays staged at venues like the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and informed the repertories of provincial orchestras in cities like Liverpool and Manchester. Reception varied: enthusiasts in Samuel Pepys's circle praised its utility, while moralists in pamphlets tied to Puritanism criticized secular amusements. In the longue durée it contributed to 18th-century country dance revivals and folk revivals led by antiquarians such as Francis James Child and collectors associated with the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
As both a commercial product of the early modern London book trade and a living repertory used across social strata, the collection offers insights into social networks, print culture, and performative practices in early modern Britain. It links to musical and theatrical developments spanning from the court of Charles II through Georgian entertainments and into Victorian antiquarianism. Modern reconstructions performed by ensembles linked to Early Music movements, ensembles at institutions like Royal College of Music, and folk dance groups across Europe and North America continue to draw on its repertory, making it a cornerstone for studies in historical choreography, ethnomusicology, and material culture associated with printed music.
Category:17th-century books Category:English dance Category:Music publications