How do researchers reconstruct vintage dances?
Dance researchers use a great variety of materials in their work. They study old dance manuals, etiquette books, diaries and correspondence, newspapers and magazine articles. They must also learn about period fashions, music, history, aesthetics and customs to give the right feel and look when translating verbal descriptions of steps into living dances. For newer dances they can utilize films and take oral histories. A good reconstructor takes all this into account when reconstructing a period dance.
