Breton Branle

The Breton branle (Branle de Bretagne), also called the Triory or Trihory of Brittany, is a dance found in Orchesography by Thoinot Arbeau.

Steps Used

• Double left (DL)
• Pied en l'air gauche or kick left (KL)
• Pied en l'air droit or kick right (KR)

Choreography

As with most branles, this dance is performed in a line of people holding hands or, if enough people are present, a circle. It is not necessary for the dancers to be paired into partners.

Steps

DL, ending with KL, Spring to the left, landing pieds joints, KL KR KL (on 6 & 7)

Alternative ending on 6 & 7: Hold up both heels to R, same to L, hold up R heel to R with KL

It is not clear why the figure has two different endings; maybe the second ending was supposed to be used after the first (though there is no indication of how the dancers would know when to use it), or else the second might have been intended as a more exact and complete version. The discussion that introduces the second version indicates that Arbeau was not committed to the terms of the first version, which suggests that the first version may have been only a preliminary attempt to describe the steps.

Music

This music has an uneven rhythm, with seven beats to the bar (7/1 time, modernized as 7/4).