Black Cauldron Washerwoman Branle dance how to (Branle des Lavandieres)
A historically accurate princess dance for princess Eilowny
I have always loved princess stories. Lloyd Alexandre’s black cauldron was one of my favorite books growing up. So when I stumbled across the washerwoman branle (Branle des Lavandieres) I could not resist recording a historically accurate princess dance for Eilowny.
Branle Dance
Branle’s were popular French country dances in the middle ages. They continued to appear throughout history. Shakespeare mentioned branle’s in “Love’s Labor Lost” “Will you win your love with a French brawl?” Charles ll of England made the branle so popular there that it became “even more common than in France.”
Washerwoman Branle
The washerwoman or Branle des Lavandieres is a mimed branle. It pantomimes the actions of a washerwoman doing the laundry on a riverbank. It was common to scold the washerwoman, thus the scold your partner section. The clapping was meant to represent the beating of laundry with paddles along the riverbank.
Branle des Lavandiere
The Branle des Lavandieres was penned in 1589. It was included in the book “Orchesography” by Thoinot Arbeau. The name branle means to wobble or move sideways and often following a Basse dance. Lavandiers refers to washerwoman. Thus, the common name Washerwoman Branle. The song we used was the” Washerwoman’s Bransle” by The New Queen’s Ha’penny Consort.
Branle Elements
- Branle double: side, together, side, tap.
- Single: side, tap.
- Four kicks forward
Variations to the Elements
- Branle double with grapevine: side, cross, side, kick.
- Single: side, kick.
- Four
How to dance Washerwoman Branle (Branle des Lavandieres)
- Join hands in a circle alternating gentlemen and ladies.
- 4 doubles danced with joined hands, counts 1-16. Begin double to the left (side left, close right to left, side left, tap right next to left) then a double to the right (side right, close left to right, side right, tap left next to right), double to the left, double to the right.
- 4 Singles danced facing your partner counts 1-8. Both partners commence left foot side, tap right foot, right foot side tap left foot. Gentlemen scold ladies for counts 1-4. Ladies scold gentlemen counts 5-8.
- Double to the left clapping hands 4 times.
- Double to right turning 360 to the right.
- Double to the left clapping hands 4 times.
- Four kicks forward, right, left, right, left.
- Repeat from step 1 until the song is done.
Washerwoman Branle (Branle des Lavandieres)- short notes
- 4 doubles beginning to the left holding hands
- 2 singles gentleman scolding lady (Left, right)
- 2 singles ladies scolding gentleman (left, right)
- 1 double to the left clapping hands 4 times
- 1 double spinning to the right,
- 1 double to the left clapping hands,
- 4 kicks forward, right, left, right, left.
- Repeat from step 1 until the song is done.
Simplified Variation for the Washerwoman Branle
- Join hands in a circle.
- 4 doubles danced with joined hands, counts 1-16. Begin double to the left (side left, close right to left, side left, tap right next to left) then a double to the right (side right, close left to right, side right, tap left next to right), double to the left, double to the right.
- 4 Singles danced facing the center of the circle counts 1-8. Both partners commence left foot side, tap right foot, right foot side tap left foot scolding to the center of the circle.
- Double to the left clapping hands 4 times.
- Double to the right. (no turn)
- Double to the left clapping hands 4 times.
- Four kicks forward, right, left, right, left.
- Repeat from step 1 until the song is done.
Black Cauldron Characters:
Then black cauldron had a large cast of characters. For this production we dressed in costumes as the heroin, the forgotten Disney princess Eilonwy. Her hero, Taran, wielder of the ancient, magical sword Dyrnwyn. King Minstrel Fflewddur Fflam. Orwen, one of the Witches of Morva, who is in love with Fflewddur Fflam. King Eidilleg king of Fair Folk. The pink elf hussy who pleads with King Eidilleg to help Eilonwy and Taran.
Black Cauldron Washerwoman Branle Cast
- Princess Eilonwy-Robyn Collins
- Taran-William Hooker
- Orwen Witch of Morva – Leah Kern
- Fflewddur Fflam– Noah Wells-Alirez
- Pink Elf Hussy – Holly Collins-Tomazin
- King Eidilleg of Fair Folk – Craig Tomazin
Film Location Reinke Bro.
To film our black cauldron dance we traveled to the back alley of Reinke Brother’s Costumes in Littleton. The building is said to have been built in 1957 as a Food Giant grocery store. It then transformed to a bingo parlor, a western wear store, and finally Reinke Brother’s Costumes.
Reinke Bro. History
Greg & Chris Reinke dreamt up building a haunted house when their dad declined to teach them how to fish. In 1968 they opened their first “Mansion of Terror” for a penny per person. Greg would call out “prepared to be scared.” It was not long before St. Mary’s carnival contracted the dynamic duo to build a haunted house for their event, staring 50 yrs. of terror. They were voted top kid friendly haunted house in Denver. Moral of this story is teach your kids to fish.
Reinke Alley painting
Recently Steve Clark painted the Reinke Brothers ally wall to look like a creepy dungeon. It included a horned king, and witches in a cauldron. These were the perfect additions to our filming of the Black Cauldron. We were especially grateful to Clay for assisting us with moving the Reinke cauldron in the alley.
Holly Collins
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