Allemande

/ˌæl.ə.ˈmɑːnd/ noun

Definition

A slow, stately dance from Renaissance Europe that featured smooth, gliding movements and was popular in royal courts.

Etymology

French form of the German dance, from Allemagne (Germany). Originally a popular folk dance that was refined and formalized at European courts during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Kelly Says

Composers like Bach and Handel wrote hundreds of allemandes—entire albums of nothing but this one dance type—because court musicians had to be ready to perform it at any moment for nobles to dance to!

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