Historical SourcePublic Domain
How and What to Dance (Geoffrey D'Egville; C. Arthur Pearson Ltd., Henrietta Street W.C.2, London 1919).
Publisher: C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd., Henrietta Street, W.C.2, London 1919. Author: Geoffrey D'Egville. New York Public Library Lincoln Center copy. Internet Archive scan: DATA/LIBRARY_OF_DANCE/TXT/1919-DEgville-How_and_What_to_Dance_(Arc).txtYear: 1919Family: degvilleCatalog: local
British post-WWI ballroom syllabus. 4,171-line OCR (New York Public Library Lincoln Center copy via Internet Archive). PREFACE: declares the volume no pretence of being a standard nor academic work on the Art of Dancing. STRUCTURE: PART I Introductory (5 chapters: Meaning/History/Art/Evolution; Organising; Etiquette/Dress; Theory/Deportment/Holding/Terms; Rudimentary Positions/Practice). PART II Round Dances (7 chapters: Waltz p.39; Hesitation Waltz/Boston p.46; Polka/Gallop/Two-Step/One-Step p.51; Fox-Trot p.55; Jazz-Step/Tango p.62 -- AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS; Maxina/Valeta/Barn Dance/Canadian Three-Step p.70; Schottische/Highland Schottische p.74). PART III Square Dances (3 chapters: Lancers; Quadrille; Valse Cotillon/Caledonians/Parisian Quadrille/Alberts). PART IV Miscellaneous (5 chapters: Country Dances/Sir Roger de Coverley/Morris p.95; Maypole p.99; Cotillion p.103; Menuet/Gavotte p.109; Scotch Reels/Hornpipe/Irish Jigs p.114). HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE: (a) British post-WWI snapshot between Castle 1914 / Mouvet 1915 / Coll 1919; (b) explicit Jazz-Step treatment (There is no Jazz-Dance in the ordinary sense of the word, but there has been evolved a rolling kind of step known as the Jazz-step) with detailed 6-count L-cross / R-bring-up / L-glide-pivot description; (c) earliest LOD attestation of the Maxina / Veleta / Canadian Three-Step British novelty cohort; (d) Hesitation Waltz / Boston as still-current 1919 round dance; (e) 1919 Quadrille / Lancers / Caledonians / Parisian Quadrille / Alberts square-dance survival in British post-WWI ballrooms.