Medieval+Dances+(Text)

Galliard =The galliard (gaillarde in French; gagliarda in Italian) was a form of Renaissance dance and popular music played all over Europe in the 16th century.= =This dance was born in France as it appeared in Arbeau's book where he listed several galliard variations.= =The galliard is an athletic dance, characterised by leaps, jumps, hops and other similar figures.= =It was an improvised dance and not necessarily a solo dance but even a dance for couples or partners.= =The main feature that defines a galliard step is the last two beats which consist of a large jump, landing with one leg ahead of the other. The galliard was one of the favorite dances of Queen Elizabeth I of England.=

Pavane =The pavaneis a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century. It is a quiet and dignified= =couple dance, similar to the 15th-century basse danse. The music which accompanied it appears originally to= =have been fast or moderately fast but, like many other dances, became slower over time.= =The origin of this term is unknown. The word comes from Italian "[danza] Padovana", meaning "[dance] typical of Padua" or from the Spanish pavón meaning peacock though the dance was "almost certainly of Italian origin”.= =The pavane as a musical form survived long after the dance itself was abandoned, and well into the Baroque period, when it finally gave way to the allemande sequence.=  Jig  =The term jig was probably derived from the Frenchgiguer, meaning 'to jump' or the Italian giga.= =It is a form of lively folk dance.= =It developed in 16th century in England, and spread throughout the Continent where it eventually became the final movement of the mature Baroque dance. Today it is most associated with  Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music because during the seventeenth century it was adopted in Ireland and Scotland, where it was widely adapted to the local dances.=

Morris dance

=Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two men, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid across each other on the floor.=

Brawle

=It is a French dance style which moves mainly from side to side, and is performed by couples in either a line or a circle.= =According to Arbeau, every ball began with the same four branles.=