allemande

allemande extract from Britannica Online.

Processional couple dance with stately flowing steps, fashionable in the 16th century, especially in France. A line of couples extended their paired hands forward and paraded back and forth the length of the ballroom. It was revived in the 18th century as a figure dance for four couples, in which each pair performed intricate turns under each other's arms, a figure that partly survives in the “allemand” of the U.S. square dance. In the late 17th century a stylized version of the dance in time began to be used by composers as the first movement of the suite.

allemande is one of 26,000 free short articles on Britannica Philippines

Find more information on allemande. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on allemande.