An American Ballroom Companion presents a collection of over two hundred historical social dance manuals. The list begins with a rare late fifteenth-century source, Les basses danses de Marguerite d'Autriche (c.1490) and ends with Ella Gardner's 1929 Public dance halls, their regulation and place in the recreation of adolescents. Along with dance instruction manuals, this online presentation also includes a significant number of antidance manuals, histories, treatises on etiquette, and items from other conceptual categories. Many of the manuals also provide historical information on theatrical dance. All illuminate the manner in which people have joyfully expressed themselves as they dance for and with one another.

Below you will find a detailed of each of the manuals included on this CD.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Hurst & co., c1872

SUMMARY This manual suggests that anyone can learn to dance without the aid of a teacher and, after providing a short discussion on organizing balls, appropriate dress, and etiquette, the book focuses on the popular ballroom dances of the era--quadrilles, polka, schottisch, polka mazurka, and varsoviana. This "do it yourself mentality was common during the late nineteenth century and this particular dance manual was reissued in 1876 under the title Offenbach's dancing without a master.

CREATED/PUBLISHED London, F. Warne and co., 1866.

SUMMARY Like many other nineteenth-century dance manuals, much of the material in The ball-room guide is not original but borrowed from other sources. The manual opens with discussion on the arrangements for balls, appropriate dress for ladies and gentlemen, and thirteen pages of etiquette. Various dances are described including quadrilles, the waltz, varsoviana, polka and three group dances, "The Spanish Dance," "Temp te," and "Sir Roger de Coverly." The manual concludes with a glossary of terminology used in ballroom dance.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Huestis & Craft, 1841.

SUMMARY This manual, small enough to fit into a pocket, declares it contains "all the information which is interesting to the world of dancing" p. 5 . In fact, like many nineteenth-century dance manuals, the text is heavily borrowed from numerous sources and compiled by a publisher. Its format is common for this type of manual and it begins with a discussion on etiquette followed by of quadrilles--popular group dances performed by four couples facing in a square. Although, the waltz was a staple of the mid-nineteenth-century ballroom, it is not discussed in this manual.

CREATED/PUBLISHED Belfast, Me., H. G. O. Washburn; Boston, G. W. Cottrell, 1863.

SUMMARY The publisher of this tiny manual (called a "vest pocket edition") notes that of the many books available to the dancing public, few contain "the good old contra dances of our ancestors." To remedy the situation, the manual gives figures for fifty-six English country dances, group dances consisting of figures performed by a column of men facing a column of women.

CREATED/PUBLISHED Graz, Austria : Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1988.

SUMMARY This is a facsimile reproduction with additional commentary of a rare fifteenth-century source for the bassedanse, a Burgundian court dance. Known as Brussels manuscript 9085, it consists of twenty-five parchment leaves on black paper with gold rules and calligraphic initials in silver. Seventeen folios contain specific music and choreographies in the earliest known dance notation.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Beadle and company c1868

SUMMARY This manual is typical of books that were assembled by publishers to be dissminated to a broad mass market. It is a compilation of many treatises covering etiquette, dress and demeanor, and describes the popular ballroom dances of the era--quadrille, waltz, schottisch, and polka.

OTHER TITLES Constitution of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute German Club

CREATED/PUBLISHED Blacksburg , The Institute, 1917

SUMMARY This revised constitution lists the objectives of a club organized to hold dances that consisted solely of the German, a popular parlor game wherein the participants performed a series of party games to music. The constitution lists the duties of the officers and standing committees, which included committees for refreshments, invitations, reception, and music. Part of the constitution noted that "no member of the Club shall drink any intoxicating liquor within twenty-four hours immediately preceding the event ."

OTHER TITLES Plaisirs de l'Arquebuse Recueil de danses

CREATED/PUBLISHED Paris, 17--

SUMMARY This is a bound collection of over eighty-five late eighteenth-century contredanses and contredanse variants such as contredanse francaise; contredanse allemande; and contredanse anglaise, each choreographed by well-known dancing masters and dancers including Philip Desnoyers, Marie Allard, Landrin, and Denis. Each contredanse consists of a title page, a page for of the figures, another for the floor plan, and a fourth page for the music. Although most contredanses were designed for four couples facing in a square, this collection contains dances for up to twelve performers.

CREATED/PUBLISHED Philadelphia, Pa. : A. Moore, 1900.

SUMMARY Translated from French by Arabella E. Moore, this is an example of the growing body of historiographical texts that began to appear in the late 1890s into the turn of the twentieth century. The work borrows heavily from previously published materials for sections on primitive and ancient dances. As with other authors of this era, "modern dances" are considered to be pavane, gavot, rigodon, and minuet. In keeping with a renewed interest in the reconstruction of Renaissance and Baroque dances, the manual includes a chapter, "Revival of Popular Old Dances." A chapter on "contemporary dances" includes polka quadrilles, Boston, mazurka, and cotillon (also known as the German).

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, F. M. Reed c1874

SUMMARY This manual is a compilation of previously published materials. The guide begins with a brief of the necessary arrangements for a ball, appropriate dress for men and women, and ballroom etiquette. The work continues with dances such as the quadrille, waltz, varsoviana, polka, schottisch, "Cellarius Waltz," and dances for larger groups of dancers--"Spanish Dance," "La Tempete," and "Sir Roger de Coverley."

CREATED/PUBLISHED London Printed by J. Heptinstall, for H. Playford, 1698.

SUMMARY Originally published in 1650 under the title of The English dancing master, this work went through numerous editions from 1652 to 1728. Compiled by John Playford (1623-1687), a publisher of music books, the treatise is considered an important work on English country dances, a form of dance where couples perform a series of set patterns. In this tenth edition, Henry Playford notes that he has made corrections and added several new dances and tunes. The work utilizes a rudimentary dance notation and page one of the treatise is devoted to an explanation of the symbols. Part one contains 215 dances; part two has 46 dances and additional music for "A new spanish entry and saraband," as danced by Monsieur L'Abbe. Appropriate music, in the form of a treble line, is provided for each dance. Most of the dances are designated for longways sets of three couples, four couples, or "as many as will."

CREATED/PUBLISHED London, Printed by W. Pearson and sold by J. Young, 1728.

SUMMARY Originally published in 1651 under the title of The English dancing master, the work went through numerous editions from 1652 to 1728. Compiled by John Playford (1623-1687), a publisher of music books, the treatise is consider an important work on English country dances, a form of dance where couples perform a series of set patterns. The work utilizes a rudimentary dance notation and page one of the treatise is devoted to an explanation of the symbols. Each of the 360 dances contained in this last edition is given appropriate music, in the form of a treble line. Most of the dances are designated for longways sets of three couples, four couples, or as many as will.

CREATED/PUBLISHED Boston, Chicago etc. White, Smith & co. c1884

SUMMARY Assembled by Professor Bonstein (pseudonym for Charles A. White) from the writings of others, this manual begins with advice to parents regarding children. "Send them to dancing school and save many a doctor's bill." The etiquette section in this manual is reduced to a section simply called "hints." The author provides advice to prompters and rules for calling quadrilles. Of the many popular ballroom dances performed in the ballroom, only the quadrille, German (also known as the cotillon), and contra dances are discussed.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Dick & Fitzgerald c1878

SUMMARY This is a compilation by Dick and Fitzgerald of previously published sources on ballroom dance. Although advertised as a ballroom prompter, only one page is devoted to calling figures in a quadrille. The book contains rudimentary etiquette advice and dance instructions for numerous dances including the grand march, quadrilles, contradances such as "Virginia Reel," "Pop Goes the Weasel," "Spanish Dance," and "Sicilian Circle." Also described are various round dances such as the polka, polka redowa, modern plain waltz, Boston Dip, varsovienne, and galop. The manual concludes with 104 figures for the popular parlor game, the German (also known as the cotillon).

CREATED/PUBLISHED Norwich, Printed by J. Trumbull, 1798.

SUMMARY The etiquette section of this manual anticipates many nineteenth-century concerns regarding decorum and bodily control and some of the ill manners described include "swinging the arms, and all other awkward gestures" and "leaning on the shoulder, or chair of another person." The manual provides nine figures for the cotillon, a precursor to the quadrille consisting of a series of figures known as changes that were performed alternately with the cotillon figure. The manual also gives the figures for seventy-nine English country dances, a popular group dance performed by a column of men facing a column of women.

CREATED/PUBLISHED Chicago, Jansen, McClurg and company, 1879.

SUMMARY This manual, which is devoted entirely to performance of the popular parlor game, describes the duties of the hostess ("remove all unnecessary furniture"), appropriate music, refreshments, and choosing a leader. Also included is a section on etiquette for guests participating in the German (also known as the cotillon). More than forty figures are described.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Tousey & Small, 1878.

SUMMARY Designed for people, who never learned to dance either because of bashfulness or lack of time or money, this manual covers the bare necessities of dress, introductions, and general etiquette. s are also provided for quadrilles, schottisch, polka, redowa, waltz, several country dances. The manual concludes with rules for the supper room and advice to waltzers.

CREATED/PUBLISHED New York, Everitt and Francis co. etc. 1904.