Published to coincide with an exhibition of dance costumes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this brings together four essays by different authors, each treating an aspect of social dancing. Covered are balls of Europe and America from the 18th century to the present; dance steps, from Renaissance Italy to contemporary America; clothing associated with balls; and dance as it has been depicted in the visual arts. Social mores are frequently reflected in dance etiquette, and this multifaceted work offers much to the student of social and cultural history as well as to historians of costume or the dance. Each essay is generously illustrated with well-chosen contemporary paintings, drawings, engravings, or photographs.