A Brief History of Country Dancing Playford By Keith Oughton, May, 2001 Country dancing is the general name given to the type of social dance in which two or more couples, dancing together in a "set", perform a defined sequence of figures on the dance floor. It is commonly believed to have originated in England during the late 16 th and early 17 th centuries. The first significant publication on country dancing was John Playford's "English Dancing Mafter: or Plaine and eafie Rules for the Dancing of Country Dances, with the Tune to each Dance", published in London in 1651. This volume, containing the figures and the tunes for 105 English country dances, was the precursor of a further 27 editions of "The Dancing Master" (the word "English" then having been dropped from the title), published between 1652 and 1728, that ultimately described over 1000 unique dances, plus many variations, of a dance form that came to dominate ballroom dancing in Britain, Europe and America until the end of the 18 th century. The dances described in the Playford books covered a wide range of formats from two-, three- and four-couple dances, through longways "for as many as will", to square dances and circle dances. John Playford was himself neither a dancing master nor a devisor of dances. What he published and sold at his Shop in the Inner Temple neere the Church doore were books of music and descriptions of country dances popular at the time among members of the aristocracy in London. His dance instructions were generally short on detail and lacking in clarity by modern standards, but were probably intended essentially as aide-mémoires for dancing masters who would have their own particular ideas on the style of dancing and steps to be used. For much of the 17 th century most figures in English country dances were performed with a walking step, but this began to change towards the end of the century, as London began to follow the French lead in fashion and culture. The French Influence A French dancing master by the name of Lorin came to England around 1680, probably at the instigation of Louis XIV, to study English Country Dancing. On his return to France, Lorin produced a manuscript containing 10 English Country Dances, (Country Dances being translated into Contredances) plus three more, presumably of his own devising. The French style of dancing at that time demanded precise and detailed descriptions of all figures and dance steps, whereas according to Lorin, "the English do the steps as they please". Lorin used an extremely detailed and accurate diagrammatic method of dance notation that showed the track to be followed by the dancers, their position at each bar of music and other details such as use of hands and upper body movements. Feet were to be turned out at 45 O throughout and steps containing hops and jumps in the baroque style were used. Lorin's work is not well-known today. Much better known are the slightly later and much more extensive publications in Paris by another French dancing master, Feuillet, using a similar detailed diagrammatic form of presentation, which Feuillet claimed as his own. Most relevant of Feuillet's work, from the point of view of country dancing, was his Recüil de Contredances, published in 1706, which described a simplified diagrammatic system of notation for English country dances, complete with 32 dances. A translation of the full title reads, "Collection of country dances choreographed in simple manner, such that all may easily learn them without instruction from a Dancing Master and even without any Country Dance Article.doc Page 1
prior knowledge of Choreography". Much of Feuillet's book was translated into English in 1710. Signs of a transition to the French style of country dancing began to appear in London during the latter half of the 17 th century. Some French tunes were being played from about 1665 and the jig had become the dominant metre for country dancing by 1690, with a skipped step replacing the earlier walking step. By 1701, the French style had become well established in English country dance culture. The later Playford publications showed this influence, but continued to provide little information on the steps to be used. As country dancing gained in popularity in Britain, other publishers came on the scene, most notable of which in the early 18 th century were Thomas Bray and John Walsh. Thomas Bray produced only one known book on country dancing, but this contained 24 of his own dances, all of which were different and added subtle extras to the standard figures, emphasising shape. John Walsh published a series of volumes from 1706 under the general titles of "Country Dancing Master" and "Compleat Country Dancing Master". The 1733 edition of Walsh's Compleat Country Dancing Master was described as ".containing 300 celebrated Scotch and English Country Dances". This appears to have been the first mention of "Scotch" in the title of a publication on country dancing. Scottish Country Dancing Country dancing probably began in Scotland during the first half of the 18 th century. It is evident that the French style of dancing, which had become an established part of the country dance culture in London by the beginning of that century, had a key influence on Scottish country dancing that continues to this day, whereas it is no longer seen as part of the current English country dance tradition. Thus, Scottish country dancers dance on the balls of their feet, point their toes, use skip change and pas de basque rather than walking steps, and expect dance figures and steps to be precisely defined. A further indication that country dancing probably did not develop in Scotland until the first part of the 18 th century is suggested by the fact that the traditional form of the majority of Scottish country dances (performed nowadays as 3 couple dances in a 4 couple set) is more in line with Playford dances published at that time rather than the earlier Playford dances of 1651. In the first edition of Playford there was no dance for three couples progressing down a longways set "for as many as will" (longways triple minor). By 1700 most new dances published in Playford were in this format. In these dances second and third couples acted as supporting couples to first couple (the dancing couple) and often had very little actual dancing to do. While such lack of activity may well have been very acceptable in high society in the 18 th century, through the increased opportunities it provided for social intercourse, it clearly became less rewarding to dancers as time progressed. In Scotland, the drawbacks associated with long longways triple minor sets have been overcome by limiting the sets to four couples only, whereas the solution in England was to restructure these dances into simple three couple set dances where feasible. The country dance "Triumph", for example, which appeared in England and Scotland around the end of the 18 th century as a longways triple minor dance was still being danced in this form in Scotland at the beginning of the 20 th century. It was not until the newly-formed Scottish Country Dance Society published "Triumph" in 1924 that a four couple set was specified. References to traditional dance sources in current RSCDS publications generally date from the second half of the 18 th century to the first half of the 19 th century (e.g. Walsh's "Caledonian Country Dances 1748-1760" and "The Ballroom, 1827"), though there are a few earlier references. A few Scottish country dances can be traced back to Playford (e.g. The Geud Man of Ballangigh, 1696; The Highland Lass, 1710; Cold and Raw, 1718; Country Dance Article.doc Page 2
and The Charmer, 1719), while several other Playford dances refer to Scotland, Scotch or Scots in their titles. As the century progressed, however, country dancing in Scotland developed its own particular "Scottish" character and style to create something distinctly different from English country dancing that continues to this day. Country Dancing Outside Britain By the end of the 18 th century country dancing had also become well established and popular in America and many countries in Europe. In Sweden, for example, the first record of country dancing dates from 1780. In northern Germany, English, Scottish and French country dances became popular from about 1790 through to 1830; here the "Scottish" dances normally consisted of four phrases with a chain as the final figure. And many variations of the English dance, Sir Roger de Coverley, were recorded around this time in Austria, France, Spain and the USA. Decline of Country Dancing in the 19 th Century Other forms of dance, such as the quadrille and cotillion, which were introduced from France, began to replace country dancing in popularity during the early part of the 19 th century. This was particularly true in England where country dancing had effectively been ousted from the ballroom by 1818. By the early 19 th century it had become the custom in England for the top lady in the (longways) set to choose the next dance. This meant that there was no time for practice and no walk through. The dances were necessarily very straightforward and the options rather restricted. Dances were often cut down to 16 bars, with the musicians continually repeating the same tune. Dancers did not join in until the top couple reached them as they progressed down the set. This could mean several minutes wait for some in a long set. Country dancing soon lost its earlier popularity as people grew dissatisfied with simple dances, repeated too often, repetitive tunes and simple steps. The quadrille met social requirements much better. This and the spread of other, new forms of dance, such as the waltz, effectively displaced country dancing as a popular social activity in England for the rest of the century. The decline in popularity of country dancing was much less marked in Scotland, where country dances continued to flourish alongside the new dances in all levels of society, and in fact developed further by adapting to absorb some elements of these new dances. A prime example of this is the development of the Eightsome reel in the mid 19 th century as an amalgam of traditional Scottish country dancing with the quadrille and the reel. Although country dancing remained very much part of the Scottish scene, the reducing number of country dances included on ball and dance programmes provides some evidence of a decline in popularity as the century progressed. Revival of English Country Dancing in the 20 th Century Cecil Sharp is famed for instigating and leading the revival of country dancing in England. Cecil Sharp was an organist and teacher of music who had thought, in common with others in his profession, that England had no worthy tradition of folk music and dance. His views changed completely at the age of 40, when, on Boxing Day 1899, while staying near Oxford, he came across a group of Morris dancers and realised that England did in fact have a rich folk heritage. Thereafter, he devoted the rest of his life to the research, preservation and promotion of English dance and music. He began by collecting and publishing folk dances from around the country, but then discovered Playford and turned his attention to interpreting Playford's dances, in the Country Dance Article.doc Page 3
belief that they were originally folk dances. Current expert opinion is that Sharp was mistaken in that belief. The dances described by Playford were not danced at that time by the common folk of the country, had no connection with the common folk and, as such, cannot be described as traditional folk dances. Indeed, there are some important aspects of many Playford dances, such as those made up of a sequence of (generally different) introductions and figures, which do not appear to have migrated at all to the folk scene. Nevertheless, it was probably largely through Sharp's work on Playford that the folk dance revival gained momentum in England. The English Folk Dance Society was founded in 1911 and later merged with the English Folk Song Society in 1932 to form the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). Sharp also spent some time in America, where he established the American branch of the English Folk Dance Society, which was subsequently to become a separate body - the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). The CDSS has continued to flourish in America, where it still actively researches and promotes English country dancing. It was not until the 1930s (after Sharp's death in 1924) that the EFDSS realised that the sophisticated and flowing interpretation of Playford dances taught by Sharp was not representative of either the style or form of traditional English folk dancing. This caused the EFDSS to shift its focus away from Playford towards the collection and publication of traditional folk dances and music from rural England. In the 1940s English folk dancing began to adopt the American idea of having the MC "call" the dances, with an emphasis on dances that did not need to be practised beforehand so that anybody could join in. Around that time the EFDSS also produced a series of seven slim "Community Dance Manuals" containing a mix of country dances, simple folk dances, and dances from other sources, including America, which have since provided much of the backbone material for English Barn Dances. It is recognised nowadays that folk and Playford both have a place within the EFDSS. Both areas have been exhaustively researched and interpreted and the emphasis in England and abroad has swung to devising new dances in traditional styles, generally looking for new figures or variations on original figures to provide added interest and challenge for experienced dancers. This trend is particularly true in America, where "English country dancing" means Playford style, and where about half of the country dances danced today at Playford Balls are new Playford-style dances devised in the USA within the past 25 years. Revival of Scottish Country Dancing in the 20 th Century In a sense, Cecil Sharp can be credited indirectly with the revival of country dancing in Scotland, for it was the enthusiastic adoption of dances from his books throughout the Girl Guide movement in England and Scotland after the First World War that sparked a renewed interest in Scottish country dancing in Scotland. Mrs. Ysobel Stewart, the Guide Commissioner for Argyll at the time, decided that it would be more appropriate for Scottish Girl Guides to dance Scottish dances and, in conjunction with Miss Jean Milligan, a lecturer in physical education in Glasgow, published a book of 12 Scottish country dances. These two ladies were also instrumental in forming the Scottish Country Dance Society in Glasgow in 1923. The Society flourished, became the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) in 1951 and by the end of the century had established branches throughout the World, with a significant presence in Australia, Canada, Japan, the USA and New Zealand. By the end of the 20 th century only about a quarter of the total membership of the RSCDS were actually resident in Scotland. The RSCDS promotes social enjoyment as the prime purpose of Scottish country dancing, but places rather more emphasis on dance technique than does the EFDSS as Country Dance Article.doc Page 4
the way to maximise enjoyment. The RSCDS has a highly structured teacher training and certification programme to ensure the teaching of consistent technique around the World and to maintain Scottish country dance standards. Traditionally, Scottish country dances are ballroom dances and, like Playford dances, are not regarded as folk dances. Unlike English country dances however, Scottish country dances are not "called". Programmes are published beforehand and dancers are expected to know the dances. To serve as a reminder to dancers, there is now a growing practice in some areas for the MC to give a brief recap of the formations before each dance, but there is rarely any walk-through and never (or hardly ever) any "calling" during the dance itself. As with English country dancing, the trend in recent years in all parts of the World has been towards devising new, interesting and challenging Scottish country dances in the traditional style. Country Dance Article.doc Page 5