'A circle whose centre is the devil himself,
and whose participants are dancing towards
eternal death.' Thus did a medieval Danish
priest describe the Ring Dance, and readers
of Hans Andersen will recognise this priestly
puritanism in the tale of the Red Shoes. A
17th century Bishop of Funen, however, had
more liberal views. Having married his two
sons at a double wedding, he 'saw no harm
in himself dancing a turn with each of the
brides'. The natural light-heartedness of the
Dane is never long suppressed, and today
there is a rich and living tradition of folk
dance, costume and music.
Mr. Jeppessen was the chairman of the
Danish Association for the Encouragement
of Folk Dancing, and Mr. Lorenzen was a
well-known folklorist who modestly describes
his wide researches as 'a hobby'. As in the
other books of the series, they have chosen
four dances for more detailed description,
and the book is illustrated with four costume
plates in full colour.
