Reconstructing 17th Century Maypole Dance: Dance, Experience, Culture

Описание: In the 2025 EDC Annual Lecture, Bryony May Kummer-Seddon presented her PhD research at the University of Lincoln on maypole dance and its associated traditions in seventeenth-century England. She began with an overview of the history of maypole dancing, exploring its diverse forms and contexts both in England and beyond. Drawing from English broadside ballads and other historical sources, she examined descriptions of maypole dancing in practice. Additionally, she considered how dancers may have experienced these traditions and the significance they held for those who took part. Finally, she highlighted key differences between 17th-century maypole dances and their modern counterparts.

Bryony May Kummer-Seddon is a lecturer, artist, and theatre practitioner, undertaking a PhD in Performing Arts at the University of Lincoln. She has taught theatre design internationally and has presented at the Prague Quadrennial. Formerly Head of the Technical Theatre Department at Edna Manley College (Jamaica), she helped arrange the 2017 Rex Nettleford International Conference. In 2019 her project won an Ivor Guest Research Grant from the Society for Dance Research. More about Bryony and her projects: https://www.bryonymaykummer-seddon.com/ .

For further information about the Early Dance Circle please visit our website: https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/ .

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