La Danse De Cleues

(The Dance of Kleve)

Basse Danse

[Brussels Ms]

Couples

Intermediate


I	A	1-6	Reverence
		7-12	Branle left (step left, swing right foot over and back, close left foot to right)
		13-18	Singles on left, right
		19-36	Doubles on left, right, left (up, up, up lower-heels)
		37-42	Singles on right, left
		43-48	Double back on right
	B	1-12	Man: Singles forward on left, right and Double back on left while Woman: Singles on left, right and Double turning to right in place	“Flowers”
		13-24	Woman: Singles forward on right, left and Double back on right while Man: Singles on right, left and Double turning to left in place	“Flowers”
	C	1-6	Singles on left, right
		7-12	Double forward on left
		13-18	Desmarche on right (step back right, rock forward, rock back)
		19-24	Branle left
	D	1-6	Singles forward on left, right diverging from partner; Drop hands	“Hearts”
		7-12	Double on left turning toward partner; Take hands
		13-18	Singles forward on left, right diverging from partner; Drop hands
		19-24	Double on left turning toward partner; Take hands
	E	1-6	Singles on left, right
		7-24	Doubles on left, right, left
		25-30	Singles on right, left
		31-36	Double back on right
		37-42	Branle left
		43-48	Reverence

R b ss d d d ss dr The man parts from the woman doing two singles advancing before a double retreating. And during this time the woman turns on the coy foot. Then the woman does that which the man did. And in parallel the man does what the woman did. ... While both turning by dedens two singles and a double turning over line one estoit in front.

R b ss d d d ss dr L'omme se part de la femme, marchant deux ss avant; apres, une double desmarchant. Et ce temps pendant la femme se tourne sur pie coy. Ichi fai la femm che que l'omme a fait, et parellement l'omme ce que la femme a fait. ... En tournant tous deux par dedens. ss ung d. soy returnat comme on estoit par devant.

Reconstruction based on that of Ingrid Brainard. Text based on Almond transcription. Partial translation by Peter Durham.

Notes

Reconstruction. There are varying reconstructions of this dance because the tabulation is incomplete. The insertions included above are those of Ingrid Brainard, as described in “The Art of Courtly Dancing in the Early Renaissance.” In her reconstruction, the straight singles in section B are done forward by both the men and the women.