The first dance was a simple one. It is not an original movement! In the Middle Ages, dancers of the nobility would meet to dance a dance they were taught or were practicing for the next court dance to see how they did. However, in that dance, the dance was known in a manner which makes it all the more difficult to copy. In addition, each dancer learned a different motion by practicing, and so the dance became known as a different motion.
However, dance was not just another genre of entertainment for the masses, but a social dance. It brought together groups of people of different heights and social statuses and this resulted in something very special. It became a part of the social fabric, which brought people together for dances as a part of their social activity that they would normally watch at home but was not normally seen. These dances would be seen in the hall and would be referred to as social dances, in part to keep them separate from religious dances.
During these “social dances,” women would sit on the ground and dance with the rest of the group and women would sit in a place of honor along side the men. In the Middle Ages there were many different types of these dances. In France, Spain and Italy, a “fairy dance” involved dancing with a dress and a white-robed figure made out of leaves. There was also a fable dance known as a “sporting dance.” The latter was the most popular, especially in England. The most popular of these dances were usually based on an old fable.
What kind of dances did the Middle Ages have?
The Middle Ages were a very diverse time within Europe, with people from many nationalities and classes of people participating in these social dances. During the Middle Ages some of the most popular dances were known as “chapantes,” a form of Latin-based dance derived from the Latin term for a woman: “capità .” In France, “fairy-dances” were dances based on a fable in which one character was made up of an eagle, an eagles head, a vulture and a vase. The person was given gifts to use in her role as vocation or profession and the gifts could be anything a vocation or profession would require. In Spain, there were other forms of dancing that were also known as chapantes. A “sporting dance” involved the participants dancing like athletes or even in battle while wearing costumes. Dancing and music were very