2.2: Medieval Dance (1200-1500s)
- Page ID
- 288655
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)When it comes to dancing and the dances of the Medieval Era we see a three-way tug of war between the peasants, the church, and nobility. For peasants, dance is baked into their daily lives and practices. At odds with the echoes of pagan rituals, the church strives to control all aspects of peasant life and moves to at the very least suppress and at best eliminate dance. Meanwhile, the nobility continues to celebrate and operate above church decree. Peasants use dance in rites and rituals, courtship, and as a pressure valve to the monotony of daily life. Joan Cass maintains that the reasons for dancing at this time falls into one of two categories: “fear” or “the love of pleasure” (1993, p. 40). Pagan superstitions are inherent to peasant culture- ignoring rituals of the past could lead to retribution from the gods… think failing crops or illness. The Christian church attempts to combat the Pagan worship of an assemblage of deities and align under one God. Just imagine the rock and a hard place existence of peasants: threat of catastrophe if they don’t follow tradition, punishment from church officials when practicing the old ways.
According to Joan Cass, the church perceives dance and associated rituals to be dangerous with its displays and allusions to virility (1993, p. 40). The general thought at this time is that the human form is sinful (D. M. Hayes, 2003). To the church, having bodies then joyfully dance and derive pleasure from physical exertion is a hop, skip, and a jump away from people having sex. A decree of condemnation is issued by the church to stamp out dance. Complicating matters, nobility continues to dance. How can the church completely condemn dance when the ruling class is not only dancing but turning dance into entertainment? In a strategy that will be replicated and perfected in the coming centuries, the church moves to rehabilitate and adopt folk dances. Pope Gregory the Great implements the policy of purging objectional components of folk customs and adopting the remains into Christian ritual.
What did folk dances look like in the Middle Ages? Similar to how popular music, dance, and dress of today varies by region so too the dances of this era. The basic components are:
…running, walking, hopping, skipping, and moving sideways by crossing the feet in front or in back of each other. These are endlessly combined into dance steps like the polka, the grapevine, the waltz, the do-si-do, the schottische, and others. Further variation is supplied by clapping the hands or clasping them high to form an arch. The rhythms are generally 2/4, 3/4, or 6/8. (Cass, 1993, p. 41)
(Wikimedia Commons. 556px-40-svaghi,suono_e_ballo,Taccuino_Sanitatis,_Casanatense_4182.jpg (556×600))
You may have already seen or heard of some folk dances. The Maypole with similar dances the Himmeltanz of Alsance; the Bandltanz of southern Bavaria; the ballo della cordella of Sicily... and the Spanish danzas def cordon. The Electric Slide could be considered a modern-day folk dance. Can you think of any other recent dances that could fit this category?
Takeaways:
- Folk dances are built from accessible pedestrian movements.
- Peasants of the Middle Ages dance out of fear and the enjoyment of pleasure. Can you think of other
Invent a dance step or short sequence as a folk dance and then imagine how your invention would be modified to be deemed "acceptable" by the church or establishment.