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Instructions for Teaching a Medieval Dance

During the medieval era, a period lasting from around 400 to 1300, dances were a way for people to meet and socialize. Dance in this era was typically done using a series of formulaic steps that everyone knew. After the basic steps were learned, more skilled dancers might add flourishes. The horse's bransle is a medieval dance performed by an equal number of men and women in two lines, with the men in the left line and women in the right.

Instructions

    • 1

      Line an equal number of men and women into 2 lines according to sex, with about 2 feet between each line.

    • 2

      Ask the men and the women to face each other. Have them take hands with the person across from them.

    • 3

      Ask the both lines to take two steps to the men's left and the women's right.

    • 4

      Ask the lines to take two steps to the men's right and the women's left.

    • 5

      Repeat steps 3 and 4 three more times.

    • 6

      Have the men and women drop hands, but continue to face each other.

    • 7

      Tell the men to paw the the ground twice with their left foot--imitating the motion of a restless horse--and then take one step to their right.

    • 8

      Tell the men to turn around in a full circle over their left shoulder while moving to stand between their former partner and the woman to her right.

    • 9

      Ask the women to repeat steps 7 and 8, which ends with them squarely facing the next man down the line.

    • 10

      Repeat the dance from steps 2 through 9 until the dancers have the dance memorized.

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