Gentleman Dancing-Master

Jennifer Thorp is a former dancer and dance historian specialising in late-seventeenth and eighteenth century dance for court and theatre, with particular reference to London-based dancing-masters. She is currently investigating the printing and distribution of Kellom Tomlinson’s treatise, The Art of Dancing (London, 1735) and its exquisite copperplate illustrations, together with ongoing research on the career of Anthony L’Abbé (c. 1667 ̶ c. 1753), theatrical choreographer and dancing-master to members of the royal family in early-Hanoverian London. Jennifer is the co-organiser, with Professor Michael Burden, of the now well-established annual Oxford Dance Symposium, held at New College Oxford.

• Acknowledgements Preface Editorial Note List of figures PART ONE: ISAAC’S LIFE AND CAREER 1. A DYNASTY OF DANCERS 2. ISAAC THE PERFORMER 3. “THE HONOUR TO TEACH AND INSTRUCT”: ISAAC THE DANCING MASTER 4. “A TIME OF GREAT TURMOIL”: ISAAC AND RECUSANCY 5. CHANGING TIMES AND ISAAC’S LAST YEARS PART TWO: ISAAC’S DANCES 6. DANCES FOR THE ROYAL COURT: THE CONTEXT 7. “ENGRAVEN IN CHARACTERS AND FIGURES FOR THE USE OF MASTERS”: ISAAC’S NOTATORS AND PUBLISHERS 8. ISAAC’S EXTANT DANCES: MUSIC AND NOTATIONS 9. ISAAC’S CHOREOGRAPHIC STYLE 10. “AN EQUAL RIGHT TO UNIVERSAL FAME”: ISAAC’S LEGACY TO DANCE PART THREE: SUMMARY CATALOGUE AND FACSIMILES OF ISAAC’S DANCES Index

‘The Gentleman Dancing Master is a comprehensive and valuable contribution to dance scholarship, and a delight to read or re-read. It is a handsome volume, clearly laid out; Thorp and her publisher have made astute choices about paper, fonts, and so on. Dance notations – a bit less than half the volume – are clean and legible. This book will be a welcome addition to anyone’s library.’Ken Pierce, Historical Dance