John Essex facts for kids
John Essex was an English dancer, dance creator (choreographer), and writer. He was born around 1680 and passed away in London in 1744. He was very important because he helped record dance steps using a special system called notation. This meant dances could be written down and saved for others to learn. He also performed in London theaters. In 1728, he published his most famous book, The Dancing-Master, which was a translation of a popular French dance book.
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John Essex: Dancer and Teacher
John Essex first appeared as a dancer in 1702 at the Drury Lane Theatre. He performed both serious and funny dances. In 1703, he left the theatre after a disagreement with the manager.
After leaving, he started his own business. He became an independent dance teacher and also taught music. His school was located in Rood Lane in the City of London.
Helping Dance Grow
John Essex joined a group of dance teachers who wanted to make dancing better. They also wanted to improve how dances were taught and recorded. Other important people in this group included Mr. Isaac, Thomas Caverley, and John Weaver.
Essex played a big part in bringing French dance ideas to England. He helped explain the dance notation systems created by French masters like Raoul Auger Feuillet and Pierre Rameau.
Important Books by Essex
In the early 1700s, John Essex was involved in several important publications. These books helped people in England understand French dance notation.
- He translated the introduction to Feuillet's Recueil de contredances in 1706.
- He wrote his own book in 1710 called For the Further Improvement of Dancing. This book explained how to write down country dances.
- A second edition of this book came out in 1715. It included four new country dances and "The Princess's Passpied," which is his only surviving ball dance.
His most important book was published in 1728. It was called The Dancing-Master, or, The Art of Dancing Explained. This book was a translation of Rameau's Le maître à danser from 1725. It included many diagrams to help explain the steps. This book was so popular that it had a second edition in 1731 and a third around 1733. The third edition even had new pictures by George Bickham the Younger. A fourth edition was printed in 1744, the same year he passed away.
In 1721, he also wrote a book called The Young Ladies Conduct, or, Rules for Education. This book talked about how young women should be educated. It was quite traditional for its time, but it really highlighted how useful dancing could be.
Later Performances
John Essex returned to performing in 1724. He appeared on stage again at Drury Lane. Later, he also performed at The Haymarket Theatre.
