An Introduction to Playford
London 1651- John Playford published the first edition of 'The English Dancing Master' , a publication containing the music & brief dance notations to 105 dances. Its primary purpose was as an aide-memoire to those who were already familiar with this style of dance. Little did Playford realise that this style of social dance would dominate the ballrooms of the Western World for the next 150 years. Over the next 76 years there would be 24 editions of the publication containing over 6,200 dances, of which just over 1,000 were unique. This treasure trove of choreography is the base from which our current day Playford (aka Historical English Style), English Country Dance, Contra, & Square Dance derives. Come and share some of this rich heritage of music & dance.
John TurnerSouthampton, UK