The Dancing Master

The Dancing Master (first edition: The English Dancing Master) is a dancing manual containing the music and instructions for English country dances. It was published in several editions by John Playford and his successors from 1651 until c. 1728. The first edition contained 105 dances with single-line melodies; subsequent editions introduced new songs and dances, while dropping others, and the work eventually encompassed three volumes.

Title page of the 1st edition (1651), with a long s ( ſ )

Dances from The Dancing Master were re-published in arrangements by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century, and in these reconstructed forms remain popular among dancers today.

Known editions and supplements
Square dance diagram from The Dancing Master
  • 1651 – 1st edition (the only edition to be called The English Dancing Master, published by John Playford)
  • 1652 – 2nd edition
  • 1657 – 3rd edition
  • 1665 – 3rd edition
  • 1670 – 4th edition
  • 1675 – 5th edition
  • 1679 – 6th edition
  • 1679 – A Supplement to The Dancing-Master
  • 1686 – 7th edition
  • 1687? – Tunes of other Country-Dances
  • 1688? – A new Additional Sheet to the Dancing-Master
  • 1689? – A new Addition to the Dancing-Master
  • 1690 – 8th edition (the first marked as published by Henry Playford)
  • 1695 – 9th edition
  • 1696 – The second Part of the Dancing Master
  • 1698 – The Second Part of the Dancing Master, 2nd edition
  • 1698? – [Untitled supplement]
  • 1698? – An Additional Sheet to the Second Part of the Dancing-Master
  • 1698 – 10th edition
  • 1701 – 11th edition
  • 1702 – Twenty Four New Country Dances. Printed by William Pearson for Henry Playford
  • 1703 – 12th edition
  • 1706 – 13th edition (the first edition published by John Young)
  • 1709 – 14th edition
  • 1710? – Vol. the second, 1st edition
  • 1713 – 15th edition
  • 1714? – Vol. the second, 2nd edition
  • 1716 – 16th edition
  • 1718 – Vol. the second, 3rd edition
  • 1721 – Vol. the first, 17th edition
  • c1726 – The Third Volume, 2nd edition
  • c1728 – Vol. the first, 18th edition
  • 1728 – Vol. the second, 4th edition
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See also
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