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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Mitch the Bass Folk dancing is fun (24) RE: Folk dancing is fun 13 Nov 06


I think a much better quotation comes from William Prynne in his "Histriomastix" of 1632 which is a 1006-page diatribe against the theatre, masques, dancing and entertainment generally.

"Dancing is for the most part attended with many amorous smiles, wanton compliments, unchaste kisses, scurrilous songs and sonnets, effeminate music, lust-provoking attire, ridiculous love pranks, all of which savour only of sensuality, of raging fleshly lusts. Therefore it is wholly to be abandoned of all good Christians. Dancing serves no necessary use, no profitable, laudable or pious end at all. It is used only from the inbred pravity, vanity, wantoness, incontinency, pride, profaneness or madness of men's depraved natures. Therefore it must needs be unlawful unto Christians. The way to Heaven is too steep, too narrow for men to dance in and keep revel rout. No way is large or smooth enough for capering roisters, for jumping, skipping, dancing dames but that broad, beaten, pleasant road that leads to Hell. The gate of Heaven is too narrow for whole rounds, whole troupes of dancers to march in together...men never went as yet by multitudes, much less by morrice dancing troopes, to heaven."

Never has there been a better incitement to enjoy dancing. (IMMHO).

Howard Mitchell
http://www.stradivarious.co.uk


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