What is English Country Dance?

If you’ve ever seen a TV or movie adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, you have seen some English Country Dance (ECD). It is a form of social dance where couples typically line up in long sets, dance a short sequence of patterns, and then repeat the sequence with new neighbors. Starting as an entertainment for common folk, country dancing was adopted by the Court in the 1600s and became popular throughout English society. These roots give the dancing both elegance and vigor. Although styles evolve and tastes change, Jane Austen would still recognize some of the dances we dance today.

Why do we love ECD?

• We dance to an amazing breadth of music, from Purcell to brand new compositions, from classical to bluesy, from serene to lively. Musicians bring our dances to life, creating endless variations as they pass the tunes between them.
• The physical joy of moving to music is complemented by the more cerebral pleasure of learning a language of patterns.
• It is easy to pick up the basics of ECD, but one can continue to grow as a dancer for years and never get bored.
• ECD is a living tradition that celebrates both the long history of its repertoire and the creativity of modern devisors.
• Dancers arrive as individuals, but are quickly welcomed into a community of friends, united by their shared enthusiasm.
• There are dance groups all over North America, the UK, and beyond. Travel with your dance shoes and you too can enjoy balls, workshops, and week-long camps!

Here are a selection of video clips to give you a flavor of ECD.

Read more on the history of ECD in this article by Gene Murrow.