Dances of England & Wales

The traditional dances of Merrie England, that

once earned us the name of 'the dancing English',

were all but lost under the soot and grime of the

Industrial Revolution. Only the devoted labours

and patient research of Cecil Sharp saved them

from extinction: Here and there in quiet corners

of the countryside he found old men who still

remembered the delightful dances of their youth,

and this 'timely salvage', as Maud Karpeles calls it,

resulted in the folkdance revival that is at once his

handiwork and his memorial.




In Wales, too, time has wrought ill with the folk

traditions. The music of the crwth is heard, alas,

no more, but the Welsh dances are being revived,

and can now be seen in their traditional setting at

the Eisteddfodau and in the country villages.

Miss Karpeles, who worked with Sharp for

many years and who is Honorary Secretary of

the International Folk Music Council, writes

with authority on English folk dancing; Mrs.

Blake is President of the Welsh Folk Dnace

Society. Detailed descriptions (with music) of

four selected dances, and four costume plates in

full colour make this book one that will gladden

the heart of all who love the dance and the

countryside.