Branle facts for kids

The branle (pronounced "brahn-luh") is a very old and popular French dance from the 16th century. Even though it started in France, it quickly became famous all over Western Europe. You might see its name spelled in many different ways, like bransle, brawl, or brantle. It was a fun group dance often done at parties and celebrations.

What is the Branle Dance?

It's a bit tricky to know exactly how people danced the branle because there aren't many detailed instructions left. We know it was a sequence dance. This means dancers performed a series of steps that repeated. People usually danced the branle in lines or circles with partners.

In a play from 1604 called The Malcontent, a character describes some steps for a branle. He mentions steps like "two singles on the left," "three doubles forward," and a "figure of eight." This shows that the dance involved a mix of simple and more complex movements. A dance historian named Melusine Wood has also given a clearer description of the Scots branle.

Music for the Branle

The music for the branle dance could be in two main types of rhythm:

• Duple meter: This means the music has two beats per measure, like a marching song. Think of counting "1-2, 1-2."
• Triple meter: This means the music has three beats per measure, like a waltz. Think of counting "1-2-3, 1-2-3."

The type of rhythm depended on the specific kind of branle being danced. A famous dance master named Thoinot Arbeau described four main types of branle in his book Orchesography. These were the simple, duple, guy, and Burgundian branles.

Images for kids

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  Branle d'Ossau by Alfred Dartiguenave, 1855–1856

See also

In Spanish: Branle para niños