Dance Index

by Donald Windham

Discover how a 19th‑century dance school shaped American manners and movement.

This history follows Allen Dodworth’s method and explains why dancing was seen as a moral practice as much as a performance. It shows how social change, teaching ideas, and a moving classroom created a lasting style of grace.

The narrative centers on a pioneering approach to teaching dance, rhythm, and posture. It reveals how public classes, private instruction, and family leadership built a system that emphasized politeness, discipline, and character alongside technique. How the Dodworth Method aimed to unite teachers and pupils across the country The six radical motions that compose many dances and how they work in practice Why the dancing school was viewed as a place to cultivate moral habits in daily life How changing tastes and social trends shaped dances and schools from the 1800s into the early 1900s Ideal for readers curious about dance history, education, and American social life of the era.

22 pages, Hardcover

Published August 24, 2018

About the author

His obituary-of-record here has a good summary of his personal and creative life.