Gottfried Taubert: Three Handbooks on Dance

The Leipzig “Taubertiade” of 2017 was a culmination of research on Taubert up to that very moment. It also represented a commencement of ongoing multifaceted collaboration among many scholars, which in turn led to the discovery of further writings. Previous to his magnum opus, Taubert wrote three smaller works, all of whose titles commence modestly with the words Kurtzer Entwurff: “Short Sketch.” This volume collects these three handbooks, translated for the first time into English by Tilden Russell, author of the English version of Rechtschaffener Tantzmeister (The Compleat Dancing Master, 2012). Russell introduces each handbook individually, highlighting how they relate to the Rechtschaffener Tantzmeister. Taubert’s writings trace an evolution in his dance-related thinking and writing as well as in his methods and priorities over four decades. Collectively, Taubert’s opera represent a major chapter in eighteenth-century dance history.