A treatise on the use and peculiar advantages of dancing and exercises, considered as a means of refinement and physical development. With general remarks.

In this book, dancing master Mason attempts to make a case for the advantages of dancing and traces the development of dance from ancient times. As part of his argument, Mason often distinguishes between the dance of civilized and uncivilized peoples. His bias is clear in the following: "Man in a civilized state generally turns the feet outwards, as in an uncivilized state they are invariably turned inwards" (p. 11)