Directory of Playford Resources

Home > Arts > Performing Arts > Dance > Folk > English Country Dancing > Playford

In 1650/51, John Playford published The English Dancing Master, containing instructions for country dances. Subsequent editions and supplements were published under the name The Dancing Master by John and Henry Playford, and John Young until c.1728.

Resources in This Category

• Dafydd's Collection of Playford's English Country Dances

  http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~white/dplayford.html
  Reconstructions of a selection of dances, mainly from the first edition.

• Estienne's Country Dance Book

  http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/del/sections/english_country_dance.html
  Descriptions of steps, and reconstructions of selected dances.

• Merri Pryanksters

  http://www.pryanksters.org/
  Information about rehearsals in California, plus descriptions of the dances from the first edition of Playford, with abbreviations expanded and spellings modernized.

• Nicolas Broadbridge

  http://www.nicolasbroadbridge.com/
  Caller, teacher, musician and researcher based in Scotland. Information about dance groups in Edinburgh and Glasgow, music groups, and books and CDs for sale.

• The British Library: John Playford - From Country Dance to Contradanse

  http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/music/playfordmaster/playfordcontradanse/playfordcontradanse.html
  Virtual exhibition covering Playford's publications and influence, illustrated with items from the Library's collection.

• The Dancing Master, 1651-1728: An Illustrated Compendium

  http://www.izaak.unh.edu/nhltmd/indexes/dancingmaster/
  Coded figures, facsimiles and other data for all of the 1,053 known dances published in various editions of Playford. Also includes some background information.

• The English Dancing Master by John Playford 1651

  http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/org/Medieval/www/src/contributed/pc2d@andrew.cmu.edu/dance/playford.html
  The complete text of the first edition. Includes links to some of the music.

• The Strafford Ball

  http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/~Christopher_Levey/ball/
  Annual Playford-style ball in Strafford, Vermont. Includes dance instructions for previous and upcoming balls.

Related Categories

• Home > Arts > Performing Arts > Dance > Historical > Renaissance

 

Home > Arts > Performing Arts > Dance > Folk > English Country Dancing > Playford

 

---

 

Thanks to DMOZ, which built a great web directory for nearly two decades and freely shared it with the web. About us