Collection
An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals, ca. 1490 to 1920
Articles and Essays
Western Social Dance: An Overview of the Collection
How to dance. A complete ball-room and party guide. Published 1878. Page Image Viewer | Bibliographic Information For centuries, in Europe and wherever Europeans have settled, the ballroom was the perfect setting for men and women to demonstrate their dancing abilities, to show their awareness of the latest fashions, and to display their mastery of polite behavior--qualities required for acceptance in society. The importance...
How to Read a Dance Manual
The Importance of Dance Manuals Il ballarino. Published 1581. Page Image Viewer | Bibliographic Information This Special Presentation is divided into three sections. The first section describes the importance of instructional books about dance, especially in eras before the advent of photography, film, or video. The second section provides information on just what we learn from studying these books; the third and fourth sections...
Video Directory
The following list describes the 75 video clips that illustrate portions of the Dance Instruction Manuals. These clips were selected from two different videotaping sessions. The first was a public event, "Society Dances and Parlor Amusements in The Great Hall," which took place at the Library of Congress on October 15, 1997. The event, which marked the 100th anniversary of the Library's Jefferson Building,...
Western Social Dance: An Overview of the Collection How to dance. A complete ball-room and party guide. Published 1878. Page Image Viewer | Bibliographic Information For centuries, in Europe and wherever Europeans have settled, the ballroom was the perfect setting for men and women to demonstrate their dancing abilities, to show their awareness of the latest fashions, and to display their mastery of polite behavior--qualities required for acceptance in society. The importance...
How to Read a Dance Manual The Importance of Dance Manuals Il ballarino. Published 1581. Page Image Viewer | Bibliographic Information This Special Presentation is divided into three sections. The first section describes the importance of instructional books about dance, especially in eras before the advent of photography, film, or video. The second section provides information on just what we learn from studying these books; the third and fourth sections...