DANCE

the performance of a succe ion of rhythmic movements with the body, usually to a musical accompaniment. It is a custom which dates back to antiquity, and though amongst civilized nations it has been raised to a fine art, it constitutes an important part in the lives of most primitive and savage races (e.g., the war dances of N. American Indians and Zulus). Moderm dancing dates back to the 15th cent., and though often the Ital. or Span.. org in, was generally refined, developed, and popularized in France. Catherine de’ Medici, 1519-89, introduced a number of Ital. dances at the Valois court. Amongst the most popular dances of this period were the gaillarde, volta, branle, the stately and beautiful pavane, and the sarabande. In some of these dances ki ing played a part, and the payane was usually accompanied by a chanson. Another famous old dance was the courante, from which was derived the minuet, the latter being brought to a high state of perfection in France. The gavotte, originally a peasant’s dance, became popular in the XVII. cent., as also did the cotillon. The lancers, polka, schottische, quadrille, and waltz belong to the XIX. cent., though some of them, under slightly different forms, had been in use earlier. The fandango, XVIII. cent., was danced by two persons, with castanets and finger-snapping. Most countries have their peasant dances, and the charming Eng. morris dances date back to the reign of Edward III. English country dances under the Tudors were mostly ki ing dances. Sir Roger de Coverley was popular before the close of the XVII. cent. The golden age of dancing in England was under. the régime of Beau Nash, XVIII. cent. Scot. national dances are the reel and strathspey; the Irish national dance is the jig. Within recent years dances with no pretensions to grace have been bunny-hug, tango, etc. Mi Isadora Duncan’s Grecian dancing popularized cla ical dancing, and many artists give rhythmical interpretations of the music of Chopin and other cla ic composers. Ru ian dancers, (e.g.) Pavlova, have brought ballet-dancing to perfection.