Elizabethan Dance

Dance was extremely popular during the Elizabethan era.

Dancing was considered "a wholesome recreation of the
mind and also an exercise of the body".
New music and new musical instruments led to new dances.
Elizabethan dance varied according to the social class.
The court dances enjoyed by royalty, nobility and the Upper
classes were often imported from Italy, Spain or France.

Upper Class
The Upper Classes enjoyed new types of music at court.
They had a taste for new music and new dances.
Masque was popular with the Upper classes. Masques were
accompanied with music and dance at the beginning and
end of the performances and during the interludes.
The most important dances were the Pavan, Galliards and
Almain.

Dancing Masters
New dances had to be learnt and Dancing Masters were
employed.
Dance Master traveled to Europe, notably in Italy, France and
Spain to learn dances.
The most famous Dancing Masters were Thoinot Arbeau
(1520 - 1595 - French), Fabritio Caroso (1536 - 1605 - Italian)
and Cesare Negri (1535-1604 - Italian).
They each produced Dance Manuals which were printed and
distributed.
Various types of dance steps were included in these dance
manuals including walking steps, cutting steps, sliding,
stamping, leaping, jumping and hopping
Dance list

The Paval - This required procession of men and women who

only slightly touched their fingers.
The Galliard - A lively dance, originating from the fifteenth-
century.
The Almain - Accompanied by keyboard instruments and lute
music.
The Volt, Volte, Lavolta - Elizabethan court dance was the
only dance which allowed the dancers to embrace closely. In
this dance the women were lifted high in the air by their
male partner.
The Gavotte - Described by the Dancing Master Arbeau in
1588 it became known as 'La Danse Classique'. Danced in
couples in a circle to a medium tempo. Include kiss as a
move.
The Courant or Courante - Slow-moving dance. Originated in
France.
The Saraband - Another sophisticated, slow-moving dance
which originated in France.
The Tourdion - Similar to the Galliard but a little more calm.
Ballet - A formal and courtly Italian dance form established
at the French court in the sixteenth century.
Saltarella, Saltarello, Salterello - a fast dance of Italian origin
similar to the Galliard
The Canary - a Spanish dance described as 'gay but
nevertheless strange and fantastic with a strong barbaric
flavour'. Its popularity in France led to its importation into
England

Lower Class
The Upper Class and Lower Class dances would be different.
The lower classes enjoyed the more traditional country
dances such as the Jig, Morris Dancing or the Brand or the
 Brawle which were closely associated with the customs and
festivals.
The Elizabethan Lower Classes were not in able to hear the
new court music or learn the steps of the Court dances.
Their only contact with the Upper Class dances would have
been through the theatres.
They would dance country dances that were much simpler,
repetitive and less intricate then the Upper Class dances.
The dances of the Lower Classes would dance would be the
ones performed at fairs and festivals, dances that would
indicate the changing seasons etc

Lower Class Dances

Brand, Brawle, Branle - the first dance often performed
during celebratory gatherings and well known to conclude
masque celebrations. This circle dance featured sideways
steps.
The Jig or Gigge aka Port - the jig involve 'leaps'.
The Hornpipe - a lively dance that is close to a jig and that
became associated with sailors.
Roundel - Any dances which were performed in circle also
called a ring-dance.
Dump, Dumpe or Dompe - Dance accompanied by the lute.
Buffoons - Comic characters who originally featured in ritual
dancing such as Morris dances. The theme survived in the
Buffoon country dance and also in court masques
Maypole Dance - Dated back to the English pagan era where
the maypole represented a symbol of fertility. Dancers dance
in a circle each holding a coloured ribbon attached to a
central pole
Morris Dance - Often danced with handkerchiefs or sticks to
embellish the hand movements

More
 So popular that some of the great political and romantic
court battles of that time were fought not by political means,
but on the dancing floors of London Court.
Some reports say that she danced as many of seven
Galliards each morning.

Festive Dance

January - Twelfth Night festival and feasts featuring

Elizabethan dance
February - St Valentine's Day the Elizabethan festival
celebrating love with singing, dancing and pairing games
April - All Fool's Day. The Jesters, or Lords of Misrule of the
Elizabethan court took charge for the day and their activities
included different forms of dancing and odd suggestions for
couples
May Day - The Elizabethan traditional festival where villagers
danced around the maypole
June - Midsummer Eve and the summer Solstice of June 23rd
was celebrated with bonfires and dance
July - Swithin's Day falls on 15th July
August - Lammas Day was on August 2nd celebrating the
first wheat harvest of the year. Candle lit processions, dance
and apple-bobbing was featured.
September - 29th September was when Michaelmas
celebrations included dancing
October - October 25th celebrating St Crispin's Day with
Revels, dancing and bonfires
November - The Day of the Dead, All Souls Day or All
Hallow's Day ( Halloween ) was celebrated with revels,
dance and bonfires
December - The feasts and Christmas celebrations including
Elizabethan dancing
Music

The music of the Renaissance known to be one of the most

complex polyphonic vocal music, both sacred and secular,
and the emergence of instrumental music.