About This Book
The Espérance Club, and the Maison Espérance dressmaking cooperative, were founded in the mid-1890s by Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Mary Neal in response to distressing conditions for girls in the London dress trade. Mary Neal had become fascinated by the folk songs and dances being collected by Cecil Sharp, and invited some traditional dancers to teach morris dancing to the young women of the Espérance Club. Thus was born the Espérance Morris, which inspired a modern London women's side, New Esperance Morris.
IN this edition it will be noted that the instructions for the dances have been somewhat elaborated. Originally they were intended chiefly as a reminder to those who have already learned the steps and the dances, as it was felt then, as it is felt now, that the dances should be learnt in the first instance from a teacher who had had them direct from a traditional dancer. But so many are unable to learn in this direct way, and especially is this the case in America and the Colonies, that Miss Warren has added considerably to the matter she contributed to the first volume. I have just returned from a tour in the United States, and Miss Warren is still there, training dancers and giving displays.
MARY NEAL.