Horses Branle Dance How To Kentucky Derby Inspired

Horse’s Branle Dance How To Kentucky Derby Inspired

How to dance the Horse’s Branle (or Branle de Chevaux) a Historically accurate princess dance

Don’t you love to watch the Kentucky derby? Horses streaking down the racetrack. But what dance would you do at the racetrack? How about the horse’s branle for a Kentucky Derby dance?

History of horse racing

To pick the perfect dance for the Kentucky derby I looked at a little bit of history of horse racing. Horse racing dates back to antiquity with the Greek and Roman Olympic games. They would race bareback or with chariots.

Horse racing from the crusades

Racing as we know it today is tied to the crusades. English knights returning from the crusades brought Arabian horses with them. They then cross bred them with their mares for speed and endurance. Nobility were known to wager on each other’s steeds.

Richard the Lionhearted holds horse race

King Richard the Lionhearted was the first monarch to offer a purse for his knights to race a 3 mile course. He is also the hero king in Robin hood, and Maid Marion’s uncle. Due to his actual reign (1189–99) and affiliation to Robin Hood in the Disney animated film, I have chosen the Horse’s Branle as our Kentucky derby dance.

Horses Branle dance Kentucky derby inspired

The Branle de Chevaux can be translated as horsing around, or the Horse’s Branle. It was notated in Orchesography published by Arabu in 1589. There is some discrepancy on how dancers pantomimed the horseplay in the past. Such gaps leave it open to interpretation for re-enactment dancers. Knowing this, I will look at the horse’s branle four ways.

Arabu’s description of the Branle de Chevaux

Arbeau says (Orchesography, p. 165):

“Apropos of that I have seen them dance a branle in this town called the horses branle in which they tap the feet . . . This was danced in duple time, like the common branle, and the young man held the damsel by both hands. The tune for the said branle began as you see it noted here and was danced by four doubles gauche [doubles left], and four doubles droite [doubles right].”

Arbeau gives the rest of the choreography in the tabulation as:

Two tappements droits
Pied largi droit
Pieds joints
Pieds largi gauche
Pied droit approché
Pied largi gauche
Pieds joints

and repeat the above by the woman, with the man not moving. The tabulation ends with the note:

“This done, the dancers join both hands again and repeat from the beginning.”

How to dance the Horse’s Branle or Branle de Chevaux

I did some digging on how this branle would look when danced. I found many variations. The most accurate were from the Society of Creative anachronism, or SCA. But many fun variations came out of renaissance festivals and museums. So, I recorded four variations of the horses Branle. Two are as close to historically accurate as I could get. The other two are just fun. Pick what works best for you.

Option 1 Branle de Chevaux, circle no partner change

Begin in a circle with the gentlemen on the left side of their partner.
Double to the left and right for 8 measures, or 4 sets of 8 (1 side , 2 close, 3 side, 4 Kick right foot, 5 side , 6 close, 7 side, 8 Kick left foot)
Gentlemen initiate horse stomp or tappements droits as the Lady waits for him to complete his figure. – (Right foot paw like a horse, 1 stomp, 2 stomp,) single to the right ( 3 side right foot, tap or kick left foot) Turn to the left for 4 steps, or 3 steps and a hop with feet together on 4
Ladies turn for the horse stomp as the gentlemen wait.
Gentlemen repeat horse stomp section Ladies wait.
Ladies final horse stomp section Gentlemen wait.
Repeat from the beginning circle until the song ends.

Option 2 Branle de Chevaux long line gentleman run to end of the line

Begin in a line with the partners side by side, gentlemen holding ladies left hand with their right.
Double forward commence left foot, and back right for 4 measures, or 2 sets of 8 (1 forward , 2 close, 3 forward, 4 Kick right foot, 5 back , 6 close, 7 back, 8 Kick left foot)
Gentlemen initiate horse stomp or tappements droits as the Lady waits for him to complete his figure – (Right foot paw like a horse, 1 stomp, 2 stomp,) single to the right ( 3 side right foot, tap or kick left foot) Turn to the left and move to the end of the line for 4 steps
Ladies turn for the horse stomp as the gentlemen rotate up the line to the next lady.
Repeat from the beginning until the song ends.

Option 3 Horse’s Branle change partners with two circles.

Begin facing your partner with the gentlemen on an inner circle and the ladies on an outer circle facing one another.
Gentlemen Double to the left and right for 4 measures, or 2 sets of 8 (1 side , 2 close, 3 side, 4 Kick right foot, 5 side , 6 close, 7 side, 8 Kick left foot)
Ladies Double to the Right and to the left traveling the same direction as your partner 4 measures, or 2 sets of 8 (1 side , 2 close, 3 side, 4 Kick left foot, 5 side , 6 close, 7 side, 8 Kick right foot)
Gentlemen initiate horse stomp or tappements droits as the Lady waits for him to complete his figure – (Right foot paw like a horse, 1 stomp, 2 stomp,) single to the right (3 side right foot, tap or kick left foot) Turn to the left for 4 steps, or 3 steps and a hop with feet together on 4 traveling to his left one partner
Ladies turn for the horse stomp as the gentlemen wait, and travel to your left joining with a next partner.
Repeat from the beginning circle until the song ends.

Option 4 Horse’s Branle hysterical

Gentlemen and ladies form two lines facing one another.
Everyone dances a Double to the left and right for 4 measures, or 2 sets of 8 (1 side, 2 close, 3 side, 4 Kick right foot, 5 side, 6 close, 7 side, 8 Kick left foot)
Ladies advance on the gentlemen a branle forward for 4 counts, then call neigh, neigh for 4 counts, or 2 slows as the gentlemen wait.
Ladies retreat with a back branle as gentlemen advance with a forward branle.
Gentlemen call neigh, neigh for 4 counts, or 2 slows as the ladies wait.
Gentlemen retreat with a branle back as the Ladies initiate horse stomp- (Right foot paw like a horse, 1 stomp, 2 stomp,) single to the right (3 side right foot, tap or kick left foot)
As the ladies Turn to the left for 4 steps, or 3 steps and a hop with feet together on 4, the gentlemen begin the horse stomp section
Repeat from the beginning until the song ends.

Horse’s Branle Credits

Thank you to the Adventures in dance team for your efforts. Dancers included Luna Chenault, Jessica Virgo, Robyn Collins, William Hooker, Craig & Holly Tomazin. All the costumes except Luna’s were created by Holly. Cameras set up by Craig Tomazin. Film Location was at Adventures in Dance on the super-secret second floor of the Woodland shopping center. The song we used was Horse’s Branle/Branle Des Chevaux by Apryl knight on the album dance the Knight away.

Horse’s Branle Cast

Maid Marion- Holly Tomazin

Robin Hood- William Hooker

Lady Cluck- Jessica Virgo

King Richard the Lionhearted- Craig Tomazin

Lady in Waiting- Robyn Collins

Leading Lady- Luna Chenault

Mascot- George the toy poodle

Holly Collins
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