How to dance the Minuet for Beauty and the Beast a historically accurate princess dance

How to dance the Minuet for Beauty and the Beast a historically accurate princess dance

Do you love a good story? I do. Beauty and the Beast is a classic French fairy tale, and Belle has always been one of my favorite heroines. She loved books and dance, just a few of my favorite things. My favorite scene is when Belle and Beast waltzed around the ballroom in each other’s arms.

Beauty and the Beast is set in the end of the Baroque period in France. Like all good stories, the tale can be traced back to antiquity, but the tale we know today was a French fairy tale.

About the Dance

The dance Beast and Belle do in the animated Disney version is a Viennese waltz, a dance of the Victorian period. I started to wonder what dance beauty and the beast would have done for the Baroque period that their tale was set in. Then it hit me that the iconic dance of the Baroque era in France was the Minuet. It was named the “queen of the ball”

Minuet Origin

The Minuet developed from the Branle of Poitou. It is first referenced in 1670 in the French court of King Loui XIV in Versailles.  The name Minuet means small, and referred to the small steps taken in the dance.  It was a stately exhibition ballroom dance often performed facing the most noble guests and danced one couple at a time to enable the partners to display their elaborate attire. I have put together a tutorial on how to dance the Minuet for Beauty and the Beast.

Film Location

To film this dance tutorial, I enlisted the help of the Grant-Humphrey’s Mansion in Denver.  This Neo-classic building was built in 1902 for Colorado governor Grant, following his term as the third governor of Colorado. It is now a historic building maintained by the city of Denver; available for tours and events.

How to Dance the Minuet,
A Historically Accurate Princess Dance for Beauty and the Beast:

 

 

Music– String quartet in E Major Op. 13-Minuet

Basic step 6 counts:
1-Both partners step forward right foot
2-tap left behind right as you bend (plie) you knee
3-step forward left foot
4-step forward right foot
5-step forward left foot
6-tap your right foot behind left foot as you bend (plie) your knees

Alternative simplified Basic step 6 counts:
1-Both partners step forward right foot
2-tap left behind right as you bend (plie) you knee
3-tap left to side
4-step forward left foot
5-step forward right foot
6-step forward left foot

Minuet Sequence:

1^st set of 6 (1-6) couple 1 curtsey and bow.
2^nd set of 6 couple 1 promenade holding gentleman’s left hand to lady’s right hand,
couple 2 curtsey and bow.
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 both couples promenade down the floor.

Peel off

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couple1 peels off and progresses past couple 2 as they promenade forward.
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 couple 1 promenade’s forward as couple 2 peels off.

Promenade back up the floor

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couples turn 180 degrees to promenade to starting positions.

Peel off

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couple1 peels off and progresses past couple 2 as they promenade forward.
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 couple 1 promenade’s forward as couple 2 peels off.

Promenade down the floor

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couples turn 180 degrees to promenade down the floor.

Right to right and Right turn

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 shake right to right hands and dance the minuet circling to the right around partner
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 release handshake hold and rotate on a small circle to right.

Left to Left and Left turn

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 shake Left to Left hands and dance the minuet circling to the left around partner
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 release handshake hold and rotate on a small circle to left.

Four hands, reverse and progress

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 hold 4 hands and dance the minuet circling to the left around partner.
3^rd set of 6 release hands and dance the minuet back away from each other.
4^th set of 6 dance the minuet forward toward partner.

Extended box

1^st set of 6 dance the minuet forward past partner’s right side.
2^nd set of 6 turn ¼ turn to your right and dance minuet forward.
3^rd set of 6 turn ¼ turn to your right and dance minuet forward past partner’s right side.
4^th set of 6 turn ¼ turn to your right and dance minuet forward to end in front of partner.

Repeat from Right to right and Right turn

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 shake right to right hands and dance the minuet circling to the right around partner
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 release handshake hold and rotate on a small circle to right.

Left to Left and Left turn

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 shake Left to Left hands and dance the minuet circling to the left around partner
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 release handshake hold and rotate on a small circle to left.

Four hands, reverse and progress

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 hold 4 hands and dance the minuet circling to the left around partner.
3^rd set of 6 release hands and dance the minuet back away from each other.
4^th set of 6 dance the minuet forward toward partner.

Repeat from

1^st set of 6 (1-6) couple 1 curtsey and bow.
2^nd set of 6 couple 1 promenade holding gentleman’s left hand to lady’s right hand,
couple 2 curtsey and bow.
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 both couples promenade down the floor.

Peel off

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couple1 peels off and progresses past couple 2 as they promenade forward.
3^rd & 4^th set of 6 couple 1 promenade’s forward as couple 2 peels off.

Promenade back up the floor

1^st & 2^nd set of 6 couples turn 180 degrees to promenade to starting positions.
Curtsy and bow when the music ends.

Thank you to the Grant-Humphery’s Mansion for letting us film there. This is made possible by the support of the Adventures in dance crew, Robyn Collins, William Hooker, Craig Tomazin, and Holly Collins. Thank you all for your support of history and dance.

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
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Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
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