The Social Dances of the 19th Century(Book)

P.J.S. Richardson was President, Official Board of Ballroom dancing and Vice-President, Royal Adademy of Dancing. He was described by Victor Sylvester as the 'doyen' of the dancing profession. Although he was associated in most people's minds with ballroon dancing, his knowledge of the history of dance in Europe makes him a useful source of information about the dances that now form part of the modern country dance repertoire.

Contents

Foreword by Victor Sylvester

• Introductory.......

• The Assembly Rooms prior to the nineteenth century

Hampstead; Bath & Beau Nash; Sir William Herschel at bath; Almack's; Carlisle House; Pantheon; Argyll Rooms; Vauxhall and Ranelagh.

• The Assembly Rooms during the nineteenth century

Cheltenham; Bath and Mr Pickwick; The End of Almack's; margate; Some Old Announcements

• Some Dances prior to the Nineteenth Century

The Story of the Minuet; The Early Waltz; Country Dance, Contredanse, Cotillon

• The Early Years (1801 -1815)

Scottish Dances and the Écossaise; The Monaco; The Last Days of the Minuet; Country Dance and Sir Roger de Coverley; The Quadrille; The Modern Waltz.

• After Waterloo (1815 - 1860)

Changes in Costume; Gas Comes to the Ballroom; The Galop; The Lancers; Caledonians and d'Alberts; Walking the Sets.

• The Second Quarter (1825 - 1850)

The Valse à Deux-Temps

• The Polka Craze (1843)

The Origin of The Polka; The Great Polka "Battle" in Paris; The First Tea Dance.

• Some Mid-Century Dances (1843 - 1865)

Revival of the Lancers; Polonaise and Mazurka; Varsoviana, Cellarius Waltz; Redowa; Cotillon; Schottische and Circassian Circle

• Some Mid-Century programmes

State Balls; Royal Costume Balls; Popular Assemblies

• The Second Half (1865 - 1900)

America and the Waltz; The Boston; The Waltz in England; Programmes of the period; Sousa and the Two-Step; The Washington Post; The Barn Dance; The Cake-Walk; Popular Assemblies; The Veleta.

• The Original Steps as Danced

The Early Waltz; The Valse à Deux-Temps; The Polka; The Quadrille; The Lancers; The Caledonians; The Barn Dance; The Washington Post.