Like all 10 volumes in this series  Historic Dance Volume VIII: 1825-1850 is an A4 book by Dr John Gardiner-Garden with nearly 740 pages of research, discussion and analysis, with hundreds of illustrations, musical scores, dance reconstructions, source extracts, transcriptions and translations, and with each volume divided into five parts. 

Part 1 (Dance context) explores the social, political and geographic contexts in which dance and the institution of the ball was evolving. 

Part 2 (Dance forms) examines the nature and evolution of the period’s main types of dance. 

Part 3 (Dance Technicalities) has in-depth sections on ‘Style’, ‘Etiquette’, ‘Honours’, ‘Holds’, ‘Formations’, ‘Figures’ and ‘Steps’. 

Part 5 (Dancing Masters) is devoted to developments in dance teaching, notation and publication, and offers an annotated bibliography of primary sources. 

Part 4 (Dances in Detail) offers reconstructions, music and source comparisons for the following dances of the period:  

Blasis’ New Set of Quadrilles; The Cinderella Cotillion; Cotillion-mazurka for any number; Cotillion-mazurka for 3 couples; Cotillion-mazurka for more W; Cotillion-mazurka for 4 couples; Cotillion with cushion /Cushion dance(3); Fancy Quadrille Figures; The Five Step Waltz (1); Ecossaise Waltzer; Galop (1) / Galopade (1; La Galopade (2); Highland Reel; Hull’s Victory; Lady’s Triumph / The Triumph (3); The London Polka Quadrille; Mazurka Quadrille (2); The Mazurka Quadrille (3); The Mazurka Quadrille (4); Mazurka Waltz (1) / La Cellarius; Minuet (3); Polonaise (4); Portland Fancy; The Redowa (1); The Royal Gallopade; The Serious Family Polka; Sir Roger de Coverley (3) / Virginia Reel (1); Soldier’s Joy (2); Spanish Dance (2) / Spanish Waltz (1); Spanish Waltz (2); Swedish Dance (1), (2) and (3); La Tempête (2); Triolet; Triolet Waltzer; Waltz (3) / Valse à deux Temps; Waltz (4) / Valse à trois temps; Waltz Cotillion; The Waverley Quadrilles / Quadrille Francais(2b); Wiener Waltz.