Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend Syllabi 1998-2017
This is a very extensive collection of traditional dances from New England as called at each annual dance weekend. A significant portion of the program celebrates the tradition’s roots and includes choreography for traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program.
From RPDLW and UNH
English Country Dance Video Playlists
The Childgrove channel on YouTube is a repository of over 100 videos of English country dancing and is a source of instruction on how to dance many of the finest dances choreographed by Fried de Metz Herman.
From Paul B Ross
The Dancing Master 1651-1728: An Illustrated Compendium
This is an online searchable database of all known country dances published in the various editions of The Dancing Master, published by John Playford, Henry Playford and John Young, from 1651-1728 in London, with facsimiles of each “unique” dance with its music.
Complied by Robert M. Keller
Playford’s Dancing Master: The Compleat Dance Guide
This is an exhaustive collection, catalogue, and index of all dances published in editions of the Dancing Master, 1651-1728
From Scott Pfitzinger
This book by Patrick Napier (available online as a PDF) provides a wonderful introduction to Kentucky Mountain Square Dancing. The book includes a bit of history and general calling tips prior to describing many Big Set and Running Set figures. It also includes fillers and closing calls.
From CDSS
A useful and informative introduction, plus a variety of figures for big set, square, and two couple formations.
From Hugh Stewart
This online collection of Charles Bolton’s work contains both interpretations of 17th and 18th-century English country dances (with music) as well as nine booklets of Charles’ original dances and tunes.
From CDSS
Contra, square, grid square, and mixer dances composed by Rick Mohr.
A collection of square dances for seated dancers. Descriptions of the figures are here.
From Fred Wersan
Dance Figures Index: English Country Dances, 1650-1833
A guide to the basic figures in major English printed longways country dances in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century sources. This database only includes sources for dances with instruction for country dances, or dances that could be identified as such. It does not include other dance forms, such as Cotillions or Allemand or similar dances.
Compiled by Robert M. Keller
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.