Early Renaissance dance: the Tourdion

[@katya2851]

So beautiful and elegant!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you!

[@michaelwei1664]

Wonderful music and very elegant dance

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@suebursztynski2530]

Looks a lot like the galliard, but the galliard did variations, after all.

[@suebursztynski2530]

Ah, I see this is being performed by the successors to Helga Hill’s group - well done!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

@@suebursztynski2530 Yes, the tourdion steps, according to Arbeau, are cinq pas, but lower / smaller than in a galliard. We arranged this version ourselves, since there is no original choreography. We are proud to continue Helga's work to the best of our ability. I learnt from her for nearly 20 years 🙂

[@suebursztynski2530]

@@thecourtlyartsperformers Do I know you? I dropped out a long time ago and did belly dancing instead (I belly dance better than Renaissance) but if you were with her that long we might know each other.

[@_te.Lue_]

I love them dancing I love them playing

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you for your kind comment!

[@skullandccolors]

If you see this, please send positive vibes my way. I’ve been struggling with health issues for years and could use your prayers.

[@nousername-zs3yh]

Stay Strong !!! ❤

[@sos4550]

all my most positive thoughts for your recovery! a big virtual hug from Veneto (northeastern Italy)

[@gideonros2705]

Praying for your healing.🙏

[@corrinecushing4417]

Sending positive energy your way--yes, stay strong!

[@ValirAmaril]

I hope you're in a better place now ❤

[@natalibelyak9784]

Прекрасный танец!!! С каким изяществом дамы держатся...

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you so much! I will pass on your kind comments to the dancers.

[@ГалинаДемидова-т4щ]

​@@thecourtlyartsperformersтанец очень понравился. Великолепны были и музыканты, и танцоры, и костюмы, в которых они выступали. Низкий поклон исполнителям.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

@@ГалинаДемидова-т4щ Thank you! I will pass on your comments to the dancers 🙂

[@svl2372]

Прекрасные танцы. Легко танцуют. Красивые костюмы. Огромное спасибо,что радуете!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@foreignparticle1320]

I love having this as part of my cultural heritage. I used to look longingly at other cultures who actively practice their own music, dances and social rites, and I felt like I didn't have that. But I do! Centuries of documented practices that have evolved over time to produce a vast spectrum of traditions. So cool!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We're glad it's bringing you joy!

[@Littleskykite99]

Gosh this is so lovely ! You are all so talented !! ❤😊❤

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you! I will pass your kind comments on to the dancers :)

[@WhiteMan88]

Lovely.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you!

[@npilot4445]

sparrows skipping and swans swimming LOL

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

:D

[@ViviArreal]

É tem algumas ali que estão mais para pombas do que pardais mas está valendo😂

[@ЧурбекАкиямов]

Иммерсивное погружение в далёкую и прекрасную эпоху

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you for commenting. This is exactly how we feel when dancing.

[@ИннаДомашевская-ч3и]

One of my favourite medieval melodies! And what I liked very much is that not only slim and slender women, but pumpkins too danced this dance! Одна из моих любимейших средневековых мелодий! И что мне очень понравилось,это то,что не только худышки и стройняшки танцевали этот танец,но и пышки тоже!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I'm very glad you enjoyed it!

[@danamarcotteseiler7423]

They’re All very good

[@mfitsenior]

É muito legal a dança da cultura medieval.🇧🇷

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I'm glad you like it :)

[@angelafoxmusic7265]

How lovely! Thankyou.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@SimoneBettinger-bf2ol]

Beau et gracieux

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Merci :)

[@paavobergmann4920]

I like the phrasing in this performance.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you 🙂

[@sallyranson3564]

So sad I missed this!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

So were we.. Congratulations to your understudy!

[@caterinarosamarino242]

Graziosissime 😊❤

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Grazie!

[@Dieset1]

Fantastic performance!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you so much!

[@quentandil]

Life goals.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

🙂

[@carlosmonsalve2350]

Delicate, lovely, elegant... love it ⚘🙏🏻💞

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@steveschmidt5156]

Beautiful and sprightly. (Even the big girl is light on her feet.)

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We're glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@RenaudKyoku]

The music reminds me of "quand je bois du vin clairet, ah mes amis tourne tourne tourne, aussi désormais je bois Anjou ou Arbois (...)"

[@RenaudKyoku]

And now I see it in the description, ok thanks for putting it in for people to discover this much jolly song! 😃🙏

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

It's such a great song! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@RhythmAddictedState]

It's that song 😁

[@Asgairsson]

This is very much Bayeux! Very tapestry! So Hastings!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Did you enjoy it?

[@Asgairsson]

@@thecourtlyartsperformers Indeed, I did. It's amazing.

[@earlymorningtwilight9119]

Looks like fun

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

It was!

[@noemisusanavicente2069]

It's a beautiful dance!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you!

[@jacquesmolay8502]

☩✠☩ Fantastisch!!! Ich bin sehr begeistert.☩✠☩

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@loudoniii]

Beautiful! ❤

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

thank you :)

[@tinterlight-iz5tl]

Wonderful!!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you!

[@fabiannunez4383]

Así se baila...!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Gracias!

[@magenta-rosepark4965]

pretty costumes

[@magenta-rosepark4965]

Also pretty music.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

@@magenta-rosepark4965 I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@janewasson4845]

So many old dances are essentially courtship/mating dances.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Indeed.

[@kem3456]

Play for me minstrel, play and take away our sorrows. Play for me minstrel, and we'll follow.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

and we did!

[@georgysb]

I see there a time traveller from late XVII century!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Ah, do you mean our two baroque dancers sitting in the background? Yes, we span some 300 years in our concerts :)

[@RustyShackleford-oo9zh]

Aw I wish I could do that

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@BrittPaul-fe1ly]

Absolutely splendid. Better than the muck people call dancing today. Even contemporary Classical ballet looks harsh and inelegant next to this. Even the frocks are lovelier.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We're very glad you enjoyed it :)

[@diannabrown2673]

Whats that song called? Very lovely!

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

It's Quand je bois du vin clairet, by Pierre Attaignant.

[@Habsbsbgirl1909]

Love the dresses, was this dance for special occasions?

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you! We choreographed this ourselves for our concert, but it is a social dance dating from the 16th Century. Many of these dances were danced at the royal courts, but were also popular with townspeople. The music is a drinking song :D

[@pebaylejules9198]

Woow

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

:)

[@theprincessofthedarkside]

❤

[@Linda98671]

I really enjoyed this, it was delightful. To think of gentle lady’s dancing long ago in heavy clothing and still looking dainty and feminine. I miss what is no more. Especially the good parts.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you for taking the time to comment! We're so glad you enjoyed it :)

[@thisisajang]

We had HD cameras back in the 15th century?

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I suppose we must have, otherwise how could we have recorded this?? :D

[@thisisajang]

@@thecourtlyartsperformers nice. This is amazing documentary about the medieval world

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

I'm glad you like it :)

[@GrinMonister]

Was this always performed with four people or could the numbers be larger?

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We choreographed this ourselves, based on the toudion 5 pas steps. As far as I know there is no surviving original choreography, so groups interpret it in various ways. We chose to dance it with 4 ladies.

[@vaclavcibulka6127]

I love your dance. Maybe the begining was not so elgant, like the rest. But does not matter. You are famous dancers. I love to dance renesance dances.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Thank you, @@vaclavcibulka6127 . I'm glad you love dancing renaissance dances :)

[@ИринаГеоргиевнаК]

А откуда они зрают, как танцевали в Средневековье? Ведь тогда ни фото, ни видео не было...

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Indeed. The interpretation of medieval dances is based on educated guesswork. Fortunately, there are some pictures in manuscripts depicting dancing, and in many instances there are written versions of the music. We are not medieval specialists though. The first written evidence from the dance masters date from around 1460. Almost all of our performances are based on the written descriptions by the dance masters. Here is our explanation of our performance of the Tourdion (from the description below the video): The Tourdion first became popular in the Burgundian court around 1450. There is no existing choreography of the time, but according to Arbeau, the steps are similar to the galliard, but smaller and gentler in nature. The word 'tourdion' stems from the french 'tordre', meaning to twist. To echo these features, we chose to dance the Tourdion with gentle cinq pas steps and some dramatic changes of direction.

[@ibosquez5238]

How does anyone know how this dance was done? It's been too long ago.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

The Tourdion first became popular in the Burgundian court around 1450. There is no existing choreography of the time, but according to Arbeau's16th century dance manual Orchésographie, Tourdion steps were similar to the galliard, but smaller and gentler in nature. The word 'tourdion' stems from the french 'tordre', meaning to twist. To echo these features, we chose to dance the Tourdion with gentle cinq pas steps and some dramatic changes of direction. Thus, our choreography of this dance is modern, but historically informed. The first published dance manuals date from c.1460, so we have detailed (although often confusing 😀) descriptions of dances from that time onwards.

[@ibosquez5238]

@@thecourtlyartsperformers Thank you for your reply. 🙂

[@AuxaneST]

Is the woman Madeleine Béjart of Molière's troupe?

[@marsmember]

How can we know it was this way?

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

We do not know. Dances earlier than those described in the first dance manuals c.1460 are just historically informed, modern interpretations. The Tourdion first became popular in the Burgundian court around 1450. There is no existing choreography of the time, but according to Arbeau's later description (Orchésographie, 1589), the steps are similar to the galliard, but smaller and gentler in nature. The word 'tourdion' stems from the french 'tordre', meaning to twist. To echo these features, we chose to dance the Tourdion with gentle cinq pas (galliard) steps and some dramatic changes of direction. :)

[@delioricci5407]

Branduardi ha rielaborato questa melodia

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

It's a great song: "Quand je bois du vin clairet", by Pierre Attaignant. :)

[@Dibipable]

Vive notre patrimoine historique ! ⛪️✝️⚜️France

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Absolument!

[@JJBushfan]

What are the sources of the music and dance moves?

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

From the description below the video: Dance: The Tourdion ,arranged for this concert by the Courtly Arts Performers. Music: Quand je bois du vin clairet, Pierre Attaignant, played by The Early Music Consort of Melbourne. The Tourdion first became popular in the Burgundian court around 1450. There is no existing choreography of the time, but according to Arbeau, the steps are similar to the galliard, but smaller and gentler in nature. The word 'tourdion' stems from the french 'tordre', meaning to twist. To echo these features, we chose to dance the Tourdion with gentle cinq pas steps and some dramatic changes of direction.This dance was recorded live during our performance of Echoes of Pilgrimage, 3rd December 2023, at Trinity Uniting Church, Brighton, Victoria, Australia.

[@1Immortalmortal]

Think how racey and uncouth this was to older folk of that time. 😊

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

:D Have you seen La Volta?

[@levinanji9649]

much similar to Russiaan and Irish dances

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

Interesting comparison :)

[@1Immortalmortal]

How their kids laughed at them later.

[@thecourtlyartsperformers]

:D Perhaps, although dancing was a necessary skill at Court in those times, so quite valued by all.