The information for this class is mostly from classes I've taken with Daniel Gariépy of La Belle Danse.

For more info, try the original sources ... The Library of Congress Music and Dance collection has lots - you can do an author search on Feuillet, and dig up stuff such as Choregraphie which explains feuillet notation in french, or a contemporary English translation. There's lots else to look at there ... including video clips (not contemporary, alas ... :) ) of some of the steps. If you don't want to download images, or want something with searchable text try Tomlinson, one of the English sources. Same web page also has Essex, and other links ...
If you want to see the notation, here is the Notation Key from Tomlinson, on the Library of Congress webpage.

Usual Caveat: From what I've seen already, the period sources may vary, fashions changed, and modern reconstructors doubtless argue vituperatively with each other on at least some points. So everything here is probably open to debate, as well as being subject to errors of mine. Spelling of terms is wrong in @ 50% of cases, and I haven't added accents much.

These dances were 1st recorded in 1700, but something similar was being done in the mid 1600s. The center for this style was France, but they were popular in England and North America, at least. (Presumably all over Europe ...) These dances were performed by one couple at a time, in front of an audience of their peers. (They were also still doing brawls, and country dances were popular.) Stage dancing, even more complicated, was starting to separate from the court dances.

Feet should be at an approximately 90 degree angle with each other.
Plié = on flat feet, with knees bent
Elevé/relevé = up on toes, knees straight
Flat = not sure their term - just normal position, with flat feet, no bend of knees.
Equilibrium = weight completely on one foot, other foot brought beside not touching the ground. Can be in plié or elevé. In elevé the free foot is bent at the ankle, so it is parallel to the floor (but may touch down if necessary to prevent falling over), but both knees are straight.
Arms: Shoulders are 'engaged', arms forward and down in the placement that allows them to rotate up to the center line of body when they are pivoted at the elbow. Wrists are broken such that the palms face down to the floor. When hands are taken they are basically in the same position, the man's palm facing up, woman's down resting on his.

I have described the steps as starting with weight on the left foot, (so stepping first onto the right).

Demi-coupé
Step onto the right foot (still plie as step) then eleve, bringing left foot beside for a right eleve equilibrium. Then plie on the right foot.
Timing: 'and' = step forward on right, '1' = weight shifts to right as eleve, '2' = plie.

Pas de Bouree
Step onto right (still plie) and eleve, step eleve left, step eleve right, plie equilibrium right.
Timing: 'and' = step forward on right, '1' = weight shifts to right as eleve, '2' = step (eleve) on left, '3'= step (eleve) on right, '4' = plie.

Menuet
This is a dance, not a step, and there are a number of different step sequences used as a basic menuet step. Menuets get two bars in triple time, so there are 6 beats in a menuet sequence. Menuets always start on the right, for both genders. The most common sequence, known as the French minuet step, or the minuet of two movements, is a demi coupee followed by a pas de bouree, as follows:
1=step right eleve, 2 = plie right equilibrium, 3 = step left elevee,
4=step right (still elevee), 5 = step left (still eleve), 6 = plie left equilibrium

The arms for the women did not vary. The men did have a subtle arm movement, but since I have never learned it, it will not be included in the class.

The normal minuet as done in a social setting followed a pattern, but was slightly variable, the man deciding how the dance was to be done. It would start with an intro, then have some number of Z figures (where the partners would change sides), then there would be a right-hand turn, a left-hand turn, more Z figures, and then the couple would get to take both hands.

The minuet done in class is choreographed, but still shows the pattern of an intro, some Z-like figures, R-hand, L-hand, more Z, both hands.

MusicAny minuet music would normally do for a minuet. The Minuet d'Espagne done in class does come with its own music, but, not having a recording, I used a minuet that had the right number of bars. This is from a 4 CD set, which I believe was a compilation from older recordings. (There's a lot of dance music on this set, but I haven't found it very useful for renaissance dancing. Most of it is generic (eg 'a galliard') or has no dance surviving.)
Dance of the Ages, CD 3, Ensemble Eduard Melkus - Ulsamer Collegium. Archiv Produktion, 439 964-2. Used track #21, Minuet I/II, Michel Corrette.

Start widely enough spaced that can't take hands - another person could stand between.

Note: In the following when I refer to one bar it is actually 2 bars - enough time for one minuet step

Standard Reverence

Bar 1	3 counts wait, then take one step towards each other, the woman ending in 1st (heels together), hands demurely folded, the man weight on right, left foot still to side and pointed with no weight on it, and arms by side held a bit out.
Bar 2	Reverence (woman plie, lowering eyes only, man bending at waist), both ending with weight on outside foot. Man has brought his left foot behind.
Bar 3	Take step diagonally outward on inside foot, and turn to face, woman ending in 1st, hands demurely folded, the man weight on left, right foot still to side and pointed with no weight on it, and arms by side held a bit out.
Bar 4	Reverence partner, turning to face downstage on the end and taking hands, ending in left plie equilibrium on beat 6.

Page 1

Bar 1	Menuet forward, toward audience.
Bar 2	Menuet forward.
Bar 3-4	Turn to face, and two menuet sideways to own right sides.

Page 2

Bar 1-3	3 menuet in a counterclockwise half circle, basically changing places, both ending facing each other and on the center line of the hall. Eye contact.
Bar 4	Menuet, toward each other, but don't end too close.

Page 3

Bar 1-2	Menuet sideways right (make this one smaller), then left (make it bigger).
Bar 3-4	Two menuet, starting forward (pass right shoulders), but then turning 3/4 over left shoulder, so end facing each other, she with her left side to the audience.

Page 4

Bar 1-3	Take right hands and do 3 Menuet in a complete circle around each other, ending with woman facing the audience. Drop hands at the end.
Bar 4	Menuet doing a half turn. 1 = Turn 1/4 clockwise stepping behind on right (now facing each other). 2 = plie equilibrium. 3 = turn 1/4 clockwise stepping behind on left. 4 = right foot behind left 5 = step forward on left 6 = plie equilibrium.

Page 5

Bar 1-3	Take left hands and do 3 Menuet in a complete circle around each other, ending facing each other. Drop hands at the end.
Bar 4	Menuet backwards.

Page 6

Bar 1	Menuet diagonally off to left.
Bar 2	Menuet curving to left (starting "teardrop").
Bar 3-4	2 menuet, continuing to curve to left, and then going straight forward. End with the man facing the audience, having slightly passed the woman, who is facing the other way.
Bar 5-6	2 menuet to the left side, passing back to back with partner.
Bar 2	2 menuet to the right side.

Page 7

Bar 1-2	Do a half circle counterclockwise, ending facing each other (so man's left shoulder to audience). Take both hands at the end.
Bar 3	Menuet, Man doing a 1/4 turn on the first step so that he is facing the audience, and does the rest of the menuet backwards. Woman goes forward ("pushing" the man in front of her.)
Bar 4	Menuet, the man going backward, the woman does the 1st 2 beats as normal, but then turns to face the audience (so man lets go with his left hand.)

Closing Reverence (Same as opening, basically)

Bar 1	3 counts wait, then take one step towards each other (if not too close), the woman ending in 1st (heels together), hands demurely folded, the man weight on right, left foot still to side and pointed with no weight on it, and arms by side held a bit out.
Bar 2	Reverence (woman plie, lowering eyes only, man bending at waist), both ending with weight on outside foot. Man has brought his left foot behind.
Bar 3	Take step diagonally outward on inside foot, and turn to face, woman ending in 1st, hands demurely folded, the man weight on left, right foot still to side and pointed with no weight on it, and arms by side held a bit out.
Bar 4	Reverence partner, turning to face audience at end and take hands. I think the man then takes the woman back to her seat.

Last modified Jun 29, 2008

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