Leach Glover, ‘Dancing Master to the Royal Family’ Part One: The Professional Dancer in Context

Abstract

Leach Glover (1697–1763) danced in London's theatres from 1717 until 1741 and was a leading dancer for nearly twenty years. In 1738, he was appointed as a dancing master to Britain's royal family, a post he retained following his retirement from the stage. This article looks at Glover's family and professional background and places his theatrical career within the wider context of dancing on the London stage. It looks in detail at his first and last seasons working for John Rich, manager of the Lincoln's Inn Fields and then Covent Garden theatres. It examines not only Glover's repertoire but also his changing status in the dance company that existed within the theatrical company. As part of this investigation, it discusses some of Glover's contemporaries alongside its appraisal of his own work and looks at the challenges as well as the opportunities he experienced within the commercial environment of the London stage.