January 24, 2011 in Dance by admin
Popular Baroque Dance Forms
Baroque dance is closely associated with Baroque music since most pieces of composition are based on dances from France, England and Germany. In fact, one of the main characteristics of baroque music is that it almost always is dance music or inspired by upper class social and theatrical dances of the post renaissance era. It is still performed today, of course, and whether you are a patron of the arts or a professional player at www.poker.de with a taste for local culture, it’s worth attending a Baroque event or two. The Baroque suite is performed with and without soloist, using a highly decorative instrumentation.
The Baroque suite commences with a French overture, which is a musical form which is split into two parts enclosed by repeat signs and double bars. Both styles are slow and complement each other well.
The allemande, which is usually the first dance piece, was originated during the Renaissance and forms an integral part of the Baroque music. It can commence on any beat and is played at a reasonably slow tempo. The allemande is usually preceded by a prelude or a short, introductory dance movement which sets the tone for following dances.
The courante comes next. It is a fast paced triple meter dance of France and has the slowest tempo of Baroque dances. However, the subsequent movements of this suite are majestic and lively. During the Renaissance, courante was performed with running steps.
The Sarabande is another popular Baroque dance form. It is also one of the slowest of all triple meter dances. Like the allemande, it can start on any beat of the bar. However, the second beat gets greater emphasis.
The Gigueis a fast-paced baroque dance performed in compound meter. It can also commence on any beat and can be identified using its lively rhythm. It precedes Gavotte, which always commenced on the third beat despite giving the impression that it begins on the first beat. The gavotte is usually done in a relaxed tempo.
Bourrée comes next, and begins on the second part of the final beat. This is played at a moderate pace and lends a unique texture to the dance. This is why it considered as the second most popular baroque dance form after Minuet. The Minuet is a triple meter dance which can begin on any beat of the bar. It is played in succession, with each part escalating the tempo.
The two fastest baroque dances are Passepied and Rigaudon. Passepied is in binary form while the rigaudon is a duple meter French dance. It can be compared to the Bourrée although its rhythm is much simpler. It comprises of a series of regular but hopping steps.