The bourrée is a dance of French origin, and the words and music that accompany it. Similar to the gavotte, it's in double time and often has a dactylic rhythm (one long note followed by two short notes). The bourrée became an optional movement in the classical suite of dances, and J. S. Bach, Handel and Chopin wrote bourrées, not necessarily intending them to be danced.
The branle is a type of French dance, popular from the early 16th century to the present, danced by couples in either a line or a circle. The term also refers to the music and the characteristic step of the dance.
The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance, popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, Portugal, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy.
The passepied is a French court dance. Originating as a kind of Breton branle, it was adapted to courtly use in the 16th century and is found frequently in 18th–century French opera and ballet, particularly in pastoral scenes, and latterly also in baroque instrumental suites of dances. In English the passepied has been spelled 'paspy' as well as 'paspie' or 'paspe' – all phonetic approximations of the French pronunciation.
The rigaudon (anglicized as rigadon or rigadoon) is a baroque dance from southern France. It originated in the 17th century as a sprightly folk dance for couples, and became popular as a court dance during the reign of Louis XIV
The saltarello originated in late mediaeval Italy and became very popular in courts throughout Europe. During the 15th century, the word saltarello came to denote a particular dance step (a double with a hop on the final or initial upbeat), and a musical meter.
The saltarello became the typical folk dance of central Italy, and Felix Mendelssohn incorporated it into the finale of his Italian Symphony after witnessing it at the Roman Carnival of 1831.
The sarabande is a dance in triple metre. It evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influences, danced by a lively double line of couples with castanets, and was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, initially in Spain and its colonies.
The tarantella is a group of various folk dances from southern Italy, characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 6/8 time, accompanied by tambourines. It's said to have begun as a cure for a condition called tarantism, which was believed to be caused by the bite of the tarantula (spider).
Sir Roger de Coverley is an English and Scottish country dance for sets of eight couples. It's known as a fun dance, suitable for the end of the evening, and is named after a character created by the writers and politicians Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, who first appeared in The Spectator in 1711. Sir Roger was an English squire of Queen Anne's reign, who exemplified the values of an old country gentleman and was portrayed as lovable but somewhat ridiculous – making his Tory politics seem harmless but silly.
© Haydn Thompson 2017–25