▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁am us ements ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Is les , ▁France , ▁and ▁other ▁contin ental ▁countries ▁from ▁time ▁imm em orial ". ▁However , ▁" contra ▁dance " ▁is ▁most ▁commonly ▁used ▁today ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁American ▁genre ▁called ▁contra ▁dance . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Country ▁d ances ▁began ▁to ▁influence ▁court ly ▁dance ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁and ▁became ▁particularly ▁popular ▁at ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁of ▁England . ▁Many ▁references ▁to ▁country ▁dan cing ▁and ▁titles ▁shared ▁with ▁known ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁d ances ▁appear ▁from ▁this ▁time , ▁though ▁few ▁of ▁these ▁can ▁be ▁shown ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁English ▁country ▁dance . ▁While ▁some ▁early ▁features ▁res emble ▁the ▁mor ris ▁dance ▁and ▁other ▁early ▁styles , ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁court ly ▁d ances ▁of ▁Cont inental ▁Europe , ▁especially ▁those ▁of ▁Renaissance ▁Italy , ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁seen , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁probable ▁that ▁English ▁country ▁dance ▁was ▁affected ▁by ▁these ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁date . ▁ ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁these ▁d ances ▁before ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century . ▁ ▁John ▁Play ford ' s ▁The ▁English ▁Dan cing ▁Master ▁( 1 6 5 1 ) ▁listed ▁over ▁a ▁hundred ▁t unes , ▁each ▁with ▁its ▁own ▁figures . ▁This ▁was ▁enorm ously ▁popular , ▁repr int ed ▁constantly ▁for ▁ 8 0 ▁years ▁and ▁much ▁en larg ed . ▁Play ford ▁and ▁his ▁success ors ▁had ▁a ▁practical ▁mon opol