Historic social dances based on John Playford's The English Dancing Master (1651). They spread across Europe, taught by travelling dancing masters, adding 19th-c forms such as the waltz, quadrille, and polka. The emphasis was on spatial design, with couples in long or circular sets, using simple walking steps. Their decline is associated with the Industrial Revolution and the growth of towns. In a broader sense, country dancing is a popular social activity involving pairs or circles of dancers performing dance patterns to traditional folk music.
Although we know of many examples of ceremonial dances, seasonal dances and occupational dances, there is no definite example of country dancing before the 15th century. Social dancing obviously continued after 1918 but it evolved into ballroom dancing at the formal end of the social scale, or solo performance at the informal end.Types
The main forms of country dancing are: circle dancing, longways set, square set and couple dancing. Circle dancing is known from classical times but doesn't become a mixed sex dance until the 15th century. In 16th century England it was still possible to distinguish between aristocratic courtly dancing (little or no touching) and peasant dancing. By the time of John Playford's "The English Dancing Master" (1651) it was a dance for everyone. Even in modern America the phrase "Contra Dance" is used alongside the more familiar term "square dance" or "barn dance".
The Longways set was the most popular type of country dance in the first edition of Playford's book. This still survives in Ireland, under the name "set dancing" or "figure dancing".
Instruments
The bagpipe was the best instrument for outdoor dancing because of its loudness. Every European country, not just Scotland, used their own local variant of the bagpipe for country dancing. The main impetus for the development of the concertina, the melodeon and the accordion in the nineteenth century was to satisfy the market for a loud instrument for country dancing.
Locations
Some country dances are confined to their place of origin: Strathspeys in Scotland, Mazurkas in Hungary. The appeal of country dancing is almost completely confined to Christian countries. The Scottish Gaelic word ceilidh (Irish ceili) is sometimes used to mean country dancing, though the original meaning was a gathering for singing and dancing.
Most country dancing is pretty robust in style but in Scotland, from the late nineteenth century, a very smooth and ornate style was cultivated. This makes Scottish country dancing very close to ballroom dancing, particularly since formal dress (white dresses and genuine kilts) are often de rigeur. Couple dances with a highly developed element of display, such as the tango, do not qualify as country dances.
Media
The stage show "Riverdance" was a shot in the arm for Irish country dancing. Ireland, like many other countries, has promoted country dancing in state schools, but this has generally been in decline on the school curriculum since the 1940s.
Present
Many types of dance notation exist but none are widely used.
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