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Elizabethan Era. Anne-Marie Weiser PD. 1. Basic Facts. Extremely popular pastime in the Elizabethan Era Considered "A wholesome recreation of the mind and also an exercise of the body."
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ElizabethanEra Anne-Marie Weiser PD. 1
Basic Facts • Extremely popular pastime in the Elizabethan Era • Considered "A wholesome recreation of the mind and also an exercise of the body." • The emerge of different styles of music and new musical instruments combined with various experiments of combining different instruments led to new dances being created. • Queen Elizabeth encouraged music and dancing amongst all of her subjects, she had been taught to play musical instruments as part of her education and was a skilled musician of the lute and the virginal, her education also included dance. • Queen Elizabeth and her court used dance as a daily exercise. • The Christmas festival included the carole which was the most popular dance-song, it could be danced in a circle, in a chain, or as a processional. Our modern Christmas carols are derived from this practice. • Elizabethan dance varied according to the social class. • Many of the dances originated in Europe, notably in Italy, France and Spain
Dances of The Upper Class • Court dances enjoyed by the royalty, nobility, and Upper Class were often imported from Spain, Italy, or France. • Most of the court dances were performed as couples. • The Pavane or Pavan-processional dance where Elizabethan couples paraded around the hall lightly touching fingers. • The Almain-one of the Elizabethan principal accompanied by keyboard instruments and lute music • The Galliard-lively dance, originating from the fifteenth-century, which usually followed and complemented the Pavane • The Volt-only dance which allowed the dancers to embrace closely. In this suggestive dance the women were lifted high in the air by their male partner
Dances of The Lower Class • The dances of the Lower Classes would have been performed at fairs and festivals, many of which were dictated by the changing seasons and the calendar of Church events • The Jig or Gigge, aka Port-The jig traditionally involved 'leaps' • The Hornpipe-Lively dance resembling a jig which eventually became associated with sailors. Often accompanied by a pipe with a reed mouthpiece • The Roundal-Any dances which were performed in circle also called a ring-dance • The Buffoons-Comic characters who originally featured in ritual dancing such as Morris dances
Dancing Masters • The dances of the English Elizabethan court were required to have Dancing Masters. • The most famous Dancing Masters were Thoinot Arbeau (1520 - 1595 - French), Fabritio Caroso (1536 - 1605 - Italian) and Cesare Negri (1535-1604 - Italian). • These Elizabethan Dancing Masters each produced Dance Manuals which were printed and distributed. • In these manuals, the steps included, walking steps, cutting steps, sliding, stamping, leaping, jumping and hopping.
Sources • http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-dance.htm
A video of a Renaissance Dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he7Dbk4f2RY&feature=related