Branle
A branle (also bransle, pronounced brawl) is a 16th century French dance style which moves mainly from side to side, and is performed in either a line or a circle. The only source for the dance steps to branles is Orchesography by Thoinot Arbeau. Arbeau strongly implies that the branle was a dance mainly performed by commoners.
The Branles as Musical Forms
Accoring to Arbeau, every ball began with the same four branles. The Double Branle, the Single Branle, the Gay Branle and the Burgundian Branle. Both the Double Branle and the Burgundian Branle have a simple form involving two phrases of two bars each. This form was not sufficiently different to the pavan to be of interest to composers and so pieces with these names rarely occur in purely instrumental books of the time.
The Single Branl, however, consists of a phrase of two bars, followed by a phrase of one bar and appears in numerous places. Likewise the Gay Branle consists of two phrases of two bars each, but in 3/4 time, and so was also widely used.
Branle Choreographies
- Aridan Branle
- Breton Branle
- Burgundian Branle
- Candlestick Branle
- Cassandra Branle
- Charlotte Branle
- Clog Branle
- Double Branle
- Gavotte
- Gay Branle
- Haut Barrois Branle
- Hay Branle
- Hermits Branle
- Horses Branle
- Maltese Branle
- Montarde Branle
- Official Branle
- Pease Branle
- Pinagay Branle
- Poitou Branle
- Scottish Branle
- Single Branle
- War Branle
- Washerwomen's Branle
