Reviews of
Dancing Through Time
Western Social Dance in Literature, 1400 - 1918 (Selections)
Compiled by Allison Thompson

Newsletter of the Jane Austen Society of North America
Ricardian Register | Society of Folk Dance Historians

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From a review by Jeffrey A. Nigro in the Newsletter of the Jane Austen Society of North America, vol. 14, No. 3, Winter 1998....

[Dancing Through Time] is a compilation of literary excerpts related to social dancing from Geoffrey Chaucer to Willa Cather. They evoke a long era in which skill in dancing was considered a visible sign of a well-ordered society, and in which the mating rituals of the ballroom figured prominently in literature before succumbing to the onslaught of social change, literary modernism, and "letting it all hang out".... Each section covers a different period and contains some of the same basic elements: an introduction outlining the most characteristic social dances of the period; contemporary descriptions of dances (unfortunately, without images or diagrams, so that a good imagination is required); advice from dancing masters (often sounding more like wishful thinking than like a realistic reflection of behavior); and literary excerpts (mostly British and American) referring to dancing and ballroom etiquette among all classes....the well-chosen excerpts present a splendidly comprehensive picture of each era; and since so many of these selections are difficult to find, it is convenient as well as enlightening to have this verbal pageant of bygone morals and manners in a single, readable volume.

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From a review in the Ricardian Register, Fall 1998....

Dancing is still a popular pastime, but it was a more important part of the lives of our ancestors, as Ms. Thompson points out. "Confined by bad roads, no night-time illumination save the moon, and ...a limited social circle, a ball was an important social event for all generations"....So it's no wonder that many great and lesser authors have made a dancing party a pivotal event in their stories, or have expressed their opinions on the subject....Not all items included are fiction. There are essays on ballroom manners, "How to polka" instructions--as if one could learn out of a book. The antis are heard from also, maintaining that the dance floor was a slippery slide to Hades. And those of us who are bisinistripedalians are catered to, as well, with P.G. Wodehouse's short story "The Man With Two Left Feet."

This is a very good source for those with a serious interest in the subject, but you don't need a serious interest. With excerpts from Louisa May Alcott, Goethe, Dickens, and many others, besides those named above, it's a book for readers as well as dancers.

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From a review by Ron Houston, Society of Folk Dance Historians Report to Members, May 31, 1998 ...

Eight-eight selections from Chaucer to Fitzgerald answer the ultimate folk dance question: "Who cares?!" Fact of the matter is, everyone cared at one time! But don't take my word for it. This book describes social dance through the literature of the eras, providing not only contemporary views of dance but also dozens of quips which dancers today will quote out of context as humorous anachronisms.

Thompson proivdes ample context, however, through a preface, introductory essays preceding each of the seven dance eras, and explanatory notes before many selections. Further, the chronological arrangement of the selections evokes the flow of history and the acceleration of change as dance forms lasted for centuries, then decades, and then mere years before being supplanted by the next dance fad.

.... Experienced international folk dancers will recognize some of the early dances, most of the country dances, and all of the "round" dances. "Contra" dancers will find this book indispensable with its history of their craft and its discussion of still-current problems such as "booking ahead" and flirting.

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