The Austen Allegros - A New Collection of Dances for Jane Austen (Book with 2 CDs)

A New Collection of Dances for Jane Austen is an instruction and information book by Anne Daye with recorded music for dance practice by the Austen Allegros (directed by Ian Cutts). The book has 149 pages, with 15 country dances, 10 cotillons, a set of quadrilles, a section on waltzing, a minuet, and a strathspey. It contains a substantial section on steps. Music scores are included for all the dances.

There is a wealth of contextual information about the dances and also of Jane Austen’s life as it related to dance and music, which makes up about a third of the book. This includes an essay by Paul Cooper.

In the back of the book are two CDs packed full of 38 recordings for the dances. The book is interspersed throughout with appropriate illustrations. It concludes with an extensive bibliography of sources. All the dances are typical of the late Georgian to Regency repertoire, with many links to Jane Austen’s life, family and music. The collection is aimed at all dancers who enjoy going to balls, with easy country dances and cotillons, but also a few more challenging dances, including an early set of quadrilles and varied waltzes.

The Austen Allegros are:

•  Ian Cutts (violin, harp, tambourine)
• Vernon Wood (flute)
• Jeanette Edwards (violoncello)
• Gail Ford (piano, harpsichord, oboe)

Track list Disc One

1. March in Blue beard
2. The Beauties of Windsor
3. Charity Boy
4. The Coterie
5. Elegant Simplicity
6. German Waltz
7. Kempshot Hunt
8. The Lady of the Lake
9. Laurel Hill
10. The Marseillois
11. My Love
12. Nelson’s Return
13. Parson’s Delight
14. Pleyel’s Hornpipe
15. Zoic’s New Dash

Disc Two

1. Avrill
2. La Boulanger (for 6 couples)
3. La Chasse/Reading Races
4. Les Delices de Windsor
5. Les Folies a la Mode
6. Le Las d’Amour
7. Lison Dormait
8. Les Plaisirs de Bath
9. La Rose
10. La Victoire
11. La Penelope
12. La Daphne
13. La Poule Anglaise
14. La Theresia
15. La Wellington
16. Les Echos
17. Waltz 1 slow
18. Waltz 1 fast
19. Waltz 2
20. Waltz 1 slow reprise
21. German Waltz
22. Minuet
23. Mrs Hamilton of Pencaitland’s Strathspey

Note that if digital download is selected, these CDs are supplied in MP3 format.