Good Introductory Sites
• Renaissance Dance -- introduction, brief descriptions of dance steps and video clips, facsimile copies of original dancing manuals. • Early Music and Renaissance Music
Renaissance Dance Sites and Sources
• Casazza's Renaissance Dance Sources -- transcriptions and choreographies. • Dance Books Ltd. (in the UK) and Dance Horizons (in the UK) -- not the cheapest, but one of the most comprehensive selections of historical dance books available for purchase. Listings include a brief description of the book's contents. • Del's Dance Book -- transcriptions, choreographies, articles, music, etc. • International Encyclopedia of Dance -- excellent, comprehensive, and well worth the cost! • Rendance - extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources, the Rendance discussion list with archives, and related links. • Robert Keller's The Dancing Master, 1651-1728: An Illustrated Combendium -- searchable database of all Playford dances (all editions) with links to facsimiles of original music and instructions. • Russel Almond's Early Dance Music -- scores and midi files of SCA dance music, some broken links. • SCA Renaissance Dance Homepage -- transcriptions, choreographies, and relevant links.
Renaissance Dance Groups
• Bedford Early Dance and Music -- British historical dance group, offers workshops • Calendar of Historical Dance -- listing of dance groups and individual instructors, mostly European • The Historical Dance Society (HDS) -- British historical dance society, offers workshops, publications, sponsors conferences, etc. • Folia, Ensemble for Renaisance and Baroque Dance -- Netherlands-based historical dance group, offers workshops, publications, etc. • La Rossingnol -- Italian historical dance group, offers courses, performances • New York Historical Dance Company -- New York City-based dance group, offers workshops, performances, publications • Nonsuch Early Dance -- British/Spanish historical dance group, offers workshops, publications
Historical Dance Summer Institutes and Workshops
• Calendar of Historical Dance -- event listings, mostly European, some North American.
Europe • Bagnacavallo Early Music and Dance Workshop (Italy) -- Renaissance and Baroque dance, instrumental, and vocal performance classes. • Early Dance Courses at Urbino Early Music (Italy) -- Renaissance and Baroque dance classes. • Folia Summer School (France) -- late Renaissance and Baroque dance. (See "Diary" for details.) • Historical Dance Symposium (Germany) -- hosts annual conference for scholars and practitioners
United Kingdom • DHDS Summer School -- annual program, with time period of study changing each year, from 15th to 19th centuries. • Nonsuch Summer Course -- annual program, whirlwind tour of social dances from 15th to 19th centuries.
USA • Early Dance at Longy -- classes in Renaissance and Baroque dance and in Baroque dance notation. • Historical Dance Program at the Amherst Early Music Festival -- classes in Renaissance and Baroque dance and in Baroque dance notation. • Santa Barbara Historical Dance Week -- top teachers teach social dances from 17th to 20th centuries. Can concentrate on one period or mix & match.
Dance History Organizations
• The Canadian Society for Dance Studies/ La société canadienne d’études en danse (CSDS/SCED) -- Support and advocacy group for Canadian dance studies promoting dance research and discussion in all areas of dance, sponsors annual conference and online published proceedings • Congress On Research in Dance (CORD) -- American/international organization promoting dance research, publishing, and discussion in all areas of dance, sponsors annual conference and published proceedings, awards, and publishes the Dance Research Journal
• Dance Notation Bureau (DNB) -- American-based organization dedicated to the study, use, and preservation of dance notation systems • Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society (DHDS) -- British historical dance society, offers workshops, publications, sponsors conferences, etc. • Early Dance Circle (EDC) -- British umbrella organization for historical dance groups, produces event listings and newsletter • English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS) -- British historical music and dance organization, offers events, publications, and the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library • European Association of Dance Historians (EADH) -- European professional society for dance historians of all periods, bi-annual conference and published conference proceedings, newsletter, etc. • Rendance - scholarly Renaissance dance discussion list plus archives, bibliography, and other resources • Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) -- dance-related e-mail discussion list and archives for the SCA • Society of Dance History Scholars (SDHS) -- American professional society for dance historians of all periods, annual conference and published conference proceedings, awards, etc. • Society for Dance Research (SDR) -- UK-based, promotes dance research and events of all types, historical and otherwise, publishes Dance Research journal and conference proceedings
Relevant Scholarly Journals for Shakespearean and Renaissance Dance
• Dance Research -- refereed journal addressing all genres and periods of dance • Dance Research Journal -- scholarly journal with articles and reviews on all genres and periods of dance • Past and Present -- refereed history journal, particularly social and cultural history of all periods • Renaissance Quarterly -- refereed journal publishing interdisciplinary articles and reviews in all aspects of Renaissance studies • Shakespeare Quarterly -- refereed journal of current Shakespeare scholarship, articles and reviews often relevant to, and occasionally address historical dance • Sixteenth Century Journal -- refereed journal publishing interdisciplinary articles and reviews on all aspects of the sixteenth century.
Where to Study Dance History -- Degree Programs
United Kingdom • University of Surrey Roehampton -- Dance (MPhil/PhD). (Also several MA/PGDip dance programmes: Dance Studies; Ballet Studies; Dance Anthropology, etc. See also Drama, Theatre and Performance (MPhil/PhD); and Performance and Creative Research (MA/MRes).) • University of Surrey Guildford -- Dance Studies (MPhil/PhD)
USA • University of California Riverside --Critcal Dance Studies (PhD) • Temple University -- Dance (PhD) • Texas Women's University -- Dance (PhD)
Historical Dance Libraries, Collections, and Archives
Canada • Centre for Research in Early English Drama -- affiliated with the University of Toronto
United Kingdom • Theatre and Performance Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum (the former Theatre Museum) -- London (search special collections) • Vaughan Williams Memorial Library -- early music and dance collections -- Cecil Sharp House, London
USA • Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts -- New York City • The Ohio State University Music and Dance Library -- Columbus, Ohio • Performing Arts Reading Room (Library of Congress) -- Washington, D.C. • The University of Kansas Thomas Gorton Music and Dance Library -- Lawrence, Kansas
Shakespeare and English Renaissance Drama
• Early Modern Resources -- wide variety of links to history, literature, and art sites for 1500-1800 • Gabrial Egan's Drama Database -- contains comprehensive list of links to scripts • Folger Shakespeare Library • Biographical Index to the Elizabethan Theater • Records of Early English Drama -- Toronto-based Centre for Research in Early English Drama • Renascence Editions -- extensive online collection of works printed in English from 1477-1799 • Royal Shakespeare Company Performance Database-- information about plays, productions, and artists involved with the RSC since 1879 • Shakespeare Resources Guide -- maintained by SHAKSPER: The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference • The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust -- Stratford-on-Avon • Shakespeare's Globe -- current productions and educational resources for the New Globe Theatre • World Shakespeare Bibliography (members only)
Renaissance & Elizabethan Costumes
• American Duchess -- medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque shoes • Elizabethan Costumes by Lynn McMasters -- custom Elizabethan costumes • The Elizabethan Costuming Page -- patterns, pictures, and useful links • La Paloma Hats -- specializing in Elizabethan hats for men and women • Noblesse Oblige -- high-quality ready-made Elizabethan and Renaissance costumes • Tall Toad Hats -- specializing in historical hats for men and women
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