After five hundred years, the influence of the Moors can still be seen in Southern Spain. In the arts and crafts, in many Spanish faces the imprint of the dark invader still shows. And above all in the dance: the famous back-bends, the delicate play of finger and hand, the sudden petrified poses are more Eastern than European. This book deals with the dances of Southern, Central and North-West Spain. Mrs. Lucile Armstrong spent a large part of her life travelling the Iberian peninsula, studying the arts of the people and noting down the traditional dances. Herself a folk-dancer of great experience, she wrote in this book, in addition to a general introduction to these regions and their customs, a more detailed description of four Spanish dances: two simple, one of medium difficulty and one, the Seguidillas Sevillanas of Andalusia, which, as she said, is more subtle and needs special study. Step notations and music illustrate these dances, and in addition four plates by the author show in colour the beauty of Spanish peasant costume.

'There are other dances in Aragon, ' says the author of this delightful book, 'but when the province is mentioned every Spaniard I have ever met preens himself and remarks, "Ah! La Jota".' There are indeed other dances. Mrs. Armstrong, a widely known authority on Spanish Dances and author of 'Dances of Spain: vol. I', in this series, takes us through the great province of Aragon, from the Pyrenees to the borders of Valencia, to busy Catalonia, and to Valencia itself, where Catalan and southern influences meet, Catalan delicacy softening the rigid grace of Andalusia. Everywhere she shows us the dances of the people: the famed Jota, the Sardana - of which, as she says, much has been written, and a great deal of it nonsense - and less-known dances such as the Dance of the Gypsies from the Valles, to which, oddly enough, no gypsies are admitted. To this most absorbing of travellers' tales has been added a more detailed step-by-step description of four selected dances, with the original music specially arranged for this series. In addition, four beautiful colour plates show traditional Spanish regional costumes.

This vintage book is a concise treatise on the history of dancing in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Profusely illustrated and full of fascinating information and interesting insights, this is a volume that will appeal to those with an interest in the traditional dances and songs of these countries. Contents include: “Portuguese Dances”, “Basque Dances”, “Spain”, and “Italy”. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on dance.