Basse danse

The basse danse (French "low dance ", also bassedanse; Italian bassa bassa danza danza or, Pl bassedanze ) was a slow, majestic border dance that was disseminated to the European courts in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term bas ("low", as opposed to haute danse ) refers to the complete absence of hopping and jumping.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the basse danse was a dance class with fairly well-defined steps and figures. In addition, the term has been slow but also in a more general sense for all, courtly dances used as the Pavane and the later Sarabande. These dances were usually combined with a faster than after-dance danse haute. The basse danse formed in the narrow sense with the faster Tourdion a pair, such as the Pavane Gaillarde or with the Allemande Courante with.

The oldest evidence for the expression Basse danse comes from an Occitan poem by Raimon de Cornet from the period around 1320. Descriptions of Basse danse are narrated by Domenico da Piacenza ( 1455 ), Guglielmo Ebreo and Antonio Cornazzano. Composed examples can be found in the Score Print by Pierre Attaingnant (1529, 1530, 1547-1557 ) and Tielman Susato ( 1551 ) and in the Orchésographie (dance instructions ) of Thoinot Arbeau ( 1588).