Dance

Although dance has been part of human culture since ancient times, it took on new importance during the Renaissance. Dancing became an important skill for members of both the aristocracy* and the middle classes. Beginning in the early 1400s, books began to record dance steps in print. As publishing became more available, books featuring dances from different countries spread throughout Europe.

Dance and Society. Members of the upper and middle classes considered dance an essential social grace, as well as a useful form of physical training. Many of them employed professional dance masters to teach them dance, music, and martial arts such as fencing. These professionals also performed and choreographed* set dances. The invention of printing helped promote the skills of dance masters by spreading dances and the names of their creators throughout Europe. Among the lower classes, most people continued to learn dances by watching and memorizing them. As a result, few written descriptions of their dances survive, although pictures from the period illustrate them.

Many types of social occasions involved dancing. It was the main event at balls and played a significant part in weddings as well. At court, ladies and gentlemen staged dance performances in honor of royal visitors. Such occasions might also include solo performances from dance masters, often featuring mime routines or mock combat. In noble households, most dancing took place after dinner. Household musicians provided the music, although family members or guests might also sing and play instruments.

Dance masters of the 1500s glorified their art form, using classical* references to describe its virtues. During this period dance began to play a role in grand theatrical events such as the English masque and the Italian mascherata and intermedio. A masque was a series of poems, songs, and dances loosely tied together by a story line, often performed as part of wedding celebrations. The mascherata, a formal parade in costume, formed part of the entertainment at state visits. The intermedio was a five-act play with music and dance performed between acts, ending with an elaborate dance.

Types of Dances. During the 1400s most dances involved long lines of two or three dancers. The most popular French dance was the Burgundian basse dance, which had five basic steps organized into patterns. An Italian dance called the ballo had four basic steps, which could also be performed on their own. Italian dances were more complex than French dances and emphasized proportion and order, causing people to compare them to other art forms such as architecture.

In the 1500s dances became more elaborate, with new dances created for multiple couples, single-sex groups, large masses of people, and solo dancers. Notes on the dances of many nations began to appear in print, enabling them to spread across Europe. For example, a French dance called the branle (pronounced "brawl" in England) became popular throughout Europe in the 1500s and early 1600s. In the simplest form of this dance, the single branle, a group of dancers formed lines or a circle and performed a series of variations on a basic step pattern. A branle couppé added other gestures, such as pawing at the floor for the "horse" branle.

The most complex dances of the 1500s were Italian dances such as the balletto and brando. The balletto, performed by two to four individuals, combined at least two different dance types, with at least one change of rhythm and tempo. The French queen CATHERINE DE MÉDICIS helped import this dance form to France, where it eventually developed into ballet. The complex brando, often used to end major theater productions, included at least four dance types and several changes of tempo.

Little information survives about Spanish dances of the Renaissance. Most of the material available appears in books printed outside of Spain. The few known sources from Spain do not describe the steps or the accompanying music. English sources are more plentiful, but even less informative. In many cases they simply advise the reader to learn the dance from someone who knows it. However, these sources list the names of many popular dances, including the pavane, the gagliard, and many dances from other countries. Literary works, such as the poetry and plays of SHAKESPEARE, also contain many references to dancing.