Candlestick Branle

The Candlestick Branle is found in Orchesography by Thoinot Arbeau.

Steps Used

• Allemande Double Left (DL)
• Allemande Double Right (DR)
• Allemande Single Left (SL)
• Allemande Single Right (SR)

Choreography

This branle starts with a person or a number of people in the centre of the floor with a lit candle. Those in the middle will dance alone and then find and join a partner in the second strain. When the music repeats, the pair will dance together and then separate at the end of the second strain. The same pattern of dancing alone, finding a partner, dancing with the partner, and separating will then repeat. Arbeau did not specify how long each phase lasts for, so there are many valid interpretations and variations.

The two strains of music alternate until such time as the musicians decide to stop.

1st Strain

DL DR DL DR DL DR DL DR

2nd Strain

SL SR SL SR (depending on the music, an additional SL SR SL SR may be included)

Variations

The dance may begin with a man in the centre with a lit candle and everyone else with unlit candles. He dances alone and then invites a woman to dance, lighting her candle. They dance together and then find new partners in the singles, lighting their new partner's candle. The number of dances doubles every verse. As fire may be a hazard, a bouquet of flowers that gets divided may be used instead.

Alternatively, all the men may begin in the middle, dancing alone, and then inviting the women to dance together. After that, the women may then have their turn dancing alone and then invite the men to join again and so on. This could also be done with a single dancer so that a maximum of two dancers are dancing at once.

The dance could also be freeform, where dancers take as long as they like to find and dance with a partner as long as they dance the appropriate steps at the appropriate times in the music.