Medieval Dance!!

Happy Spring Break!! You know that break that UM should just call “Late-Winter Break” since I needed a jacket and long pants most of the week… Anyway, even though pretty much everyone has been saying the same stuff, here we go.

Early in the “Dark Ages,” the church frowned on dancing. Kind of a lot… In fact, it made the top 7 sins list!!!!! :D Good Job, Dancing!!!!! So, clearly, dancing had rough start to the medieval season, but came back with a vengeance to win the hearts of the people. It became such a popular hit after losing the title of one of the “Seven Deadly Sins” because dancing left no one out. Anyone could do it because it takes about as much skill to foolishly move your body around to music as it takes to eat a box of chicken from Ye Olde Foosackly’s. The greatness of dancing quickly showed when the church adopted it into their “mass” services.

Dancing’s significance was important to more than just the church. Peasants didn’t mind making fools of themselves as long as their friends were with them at the social gatherings like parties for weddings, the changing of seasons or the birth of babies. Nobles saw these types of dances as unrefined, crazy junk that they were too good for, so they made their own upscale versions of dances that included much fancier footwork and crazy twists and spins. I mean we should all do our best to impress other dignified people, right?

Medieval things and whatnot

Clothing in medieval times tells us quite a lot about the times themselves as well as the people in those times. In general, people wore woolen clothes with linen undergarments. It is also true that brighter colors, better materials, as well as more complicated and intricate clothes in general were a sign of wealth. Wealthy women in the middle ages wore long, flowing gowns and various forms of headdresses with extremely intricate and detailed embroidery. This headwear could be anything from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall caps and even Italian turbans.

In some cases, clothing was actually used as a means of separation between economic classes. The lower classes simply did not have access to many of the clothing options of wealthier people because they often made their own fabric and clothes while wealthier people could afford to pay tailors and furriers. It was also impractical for many working class people to have complicated and high quality clothing simply because they worked for a living and would dirty and ruin clothes in the process. On the other hand, royalty often had tailors and other craftsmen essentially on staff in their household to create elaborate, high quality clothing for them. Also, certain colors of clothing were a big indication of the wealth of a person. At some points, scarlet tones, such as red and purple were colors in clothing that were generally reserved for kings and princes.

Dancing in medieval times is an interesting part of history as well as important to understanding the culture of that time. In the early middle ages, most of the records we have of dance is actually primarily from religious sources. It is not until the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that we have the first records of actual dance music. One of the first dances we see in the thirteenth century is the carole. The carole was first popular in France and then in England and is thought to have possibly descended from some forms of Greek dancing. Following this time, many other forms of dances become known such as the French ductia, estampie, and nota, and many others.

Playing Seamstress

     Clothing in the early medieval period  (400 c.e. to 1100 c.e) was mainly just functional and made from fabric local to Europe like wool or linen. The nobility may have worn better quality of fabric than the peasents, but the same basic sytle prevailed: a basic tunic. However, as the nobility become more established in the later medieval period (1100 c.e. to 1500 c.e), fashion become a more prominent part of society and clothing became a status symbol.
     Based on my research, the tunic in its crudest form was made from a rectangle of wool or linen cloth with a hole cut in the center for the head and stiching up the sides, leaving room for armholes, with a belt about he waist would gather the material. The tunic could also function with several layers, with a lighter, linen tunic worn beneath heavier, outer tunics. Peasant men wore knee-length under and outer-garments paired with breeches or hose. Peasant women wore floor-length, under and outer-garments. While noblewomen's tunics remained long, they became the basis of the more extravagent gowns that we picture today with seperate bodices paired with full skirts. Nobelmen's garb on the other hand became increasingly shorter with hose and breeches covering their legs.
     I believe that for the sake of the project I could attempt to make a few of the simpler tunics if everyone bought their own fabric.

Medieval Dance!

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! Mine involved a lot of sleep. When I saw that one of the choices for the final project was a dance, I jumped to it immediately! Dancing is the most fun way to express oneself!

Medieval dance had a huge impact on it's culture, and continues to influence others like ours today. Some forms of Medieval dance gave us our holiday music or other details. There are at least a dozen or more recognizable dances, and each served their own purpose in society. Some dances were created for everybody, usually being easier and simple so that everyone could join. The Carol dance was one of these and were practiced in chains of people holding hands; this dance could be performed in rural areas or royal. All Medieval dances mean something or represent a certain type of emotion like love, joy, or happiness. In the Medieval era, there was a huge lower class which were restricted financially in the ways that one could enjoy them self or commune with others in a joyful manner. Dancing only required a somewhat healthy body, which most people had, and this gave many people a way to enjoy themselves with no distinction of class, age, or career. Attire was usually predictable. Upper class would have special ordered clothing, whether that included silk dresses, or finely woven tunics for men. Lower class wore everyday clothing. However in both cases it was customary to prepare for dances, so it may have been possible that both classes wore an above average set of attire before a festival or community dance.

The music that was danced to in Medieval ages were performed by a various amounts of percussion instruments like long drums or bells. Many remastered versions of medieval dance music contains a lot of shaking and banging! You also had your typical stringed and winged instruments like the lute, flute, fiddle or tambourine! When listening to Medieval songs, it is easy for one to notice the adding and removing of instruments at different times during the piece. This is so that the people dancing, whether in large crowds or small soloist could recognize the different stages of the song. Rhythm and pace-keeping were very important in Medieval dance so that it would stay coordinated and structured.

I think the most interesting detail of Medieval dance was the response the Church had given to it. Starting out, the Church saw dance as a supremely wicked deed and only a starting point of debauchery and adultery. Many bishops would curse dancers in the street and warned the masses of their "evil" nature. However, as many know, dance is a form of story-telling and expression of a situation. As time will tell, this would soften the heart of the Church and it eventually was implemented into some masses. Even today when some sway or move in rhythmic manner during hymns, shows that the Medieval era had influence concerning dance and religious practice.

Medieval Dance was a lot of fun to study, and I wasn't aware of the implications that it had with the Church. I can't wait till we have to do it!

P.S. I commented on Tory's "Medieval Dance"

Shakespeare :)

I get to play the role of Puck in a Midsummer Night's dream, and I'm really excited about it!  Puck is a wood sprite, and is rather mischievous, so I'll have fun with it ;)  Also, I'm playing Mistress Page from the Merry Wives of Windsor, as I work with Mistress Ford to make a fool of Falstaff  and trick Mistress Ford's husband.

 I'm also in the medieval dance group, and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to be in both.... kinda confusing, I guess I got a little excited about the sign up lists :)  I'm sorry this is so short, I'm on tour and am writing this from Jasper, AL!  So excited to see how these plays and dances turn out, and I hope you're all having an awesome spring break!!

Three supporting roles

I feel a little strange right now, because I will play a witch in Macbeth, Benvolio, the unsuccessful peacemaker in Romeo and Juliet, and Shallow, a character of misplaced authority from the Merry Wives of Windsor. I'm sure I'll be able to pull off the whole man persona and I can be a bit of a witch at times, so Witch #3 will not be a problem. Hopefully, with the right make up and acting skill, I'll be a convincing man witch. I'm excited to actually be involved in a Shakespeare play (or a medley of them) and that I actually get to act! Don't know if I'll like the all night rehearsals but I'm sure we'll all get to know each other a lot more. One of the perks of being in honors is that you get to have awesome projects! Yay honors! (P.S. I commented on Meghan's)

Shakespeare Group

I play Mistress Ford in our scene from "The Merry Wives of Windsor." Mistress Ford is married to Master Ford and, along with Mistress Page, has conspired to take Falstaff down a peg. Falstaff believes he can seduce both women, but they know what he is up to. They also know that Master Ford knows Falstaff is trying to seduce them and so they decide that they should play tricks on Falstaff and keep Master Ford in the dark the whole time. In this scene, Mistress Ford has Falstaff dress as an old woman to get out of the house, knowing that her husband hates said old woman and will beat "her" as "she" leaves the house.

I play Witch #1 in our scene from "Macbeth." Throughout "Macbeth," the witches cryptically give Macbeth information as to what he will "earn" if he kills the king. In this scene, the witches are discussing curses they have recently dished out and greet Macbeth and Banquo prophetically and cryptically when they both arrive.

In the last scene, I play Titania, Queen of the Fairies. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Titania and Oberon,  King of the Fairies, argue over who will receive the changeling child they have stolen. Titania ends up winning the child, but Oberon, with Puck's help, casts a love spell on Titania so that she will fall in love with Bottom who has been turned into a donkey. In this last scene that we will do, Titania and Oberon has made up and Titania signals for a song and dance to start with the fairies.

I chose the scenes that we are performing for a few reasons, mainly because they all stand alone really well. The two "Midsummer" scenes were chosen because one will mirror the parts we, the Shakespeare group, will be playing as a traveling acting troupe; as for the last scene, I chose it because of Puck's speech at the end. I chose the scene from "Hamlet" because "Hamlet" is a well known play and there are many scenes that stand alone well. The scene I chose is simple, short, and fun because Hamlet's emotions are all over the place. I chose the scene from "Much Ado" because it stands alone well and it is incredibly funny. The scene from "Romeo and Juliet" was chosen because everyone insisted I choose a scene from that play and the scene we're doing doesn't involve Juliet at all (a plus for me since it is my least favorite Shakespeare play. They were a 17 year old and 13 year old who had a three day affair which resulted in the deaths of a lot of people!). "Merry Wives" is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, probably has something to do with the multiple cheese references, so I knew I had to choose a scene from the play. The scene I chose stands alone well and is full of both physical and spoken comedy. Finally, "Macbeth" is one of the most famous Shakespeare plays and the witches are almost synonymous with the name of the play. I had to add a scene from the play. Even though the scenes are random and don't really have anything to do with one another, a lot can be learned from them. I am incredibly excited to see what happens as we rehearse this play over the next month or two.
Until next time,
Tantum e tenebris receptum constabit,
Meghan

Medieval Dance

Unlike today, dancing in the Middle Ages was reserved mainly for peasant festivals. It was not performed for show, but for the audience of the musicians to participate in rather than watch. Dance in the medieval period often closely resembled the line dances of the Victorian and Elizabethan  eras that were performed during balls. From the videos I've watched, most of them require couples who switch partners throughout the dance. Men had their own choreography that was mirrored or echoed by the women. However, medieval dances were not for the wealthy, they were mostly performed by peasants during holiday festivals. 

Each holiday had its own unique dance related to its traditions. For Christmas they would dance to Christmas carols and for Easter they danced around eggs that were placed on the floor and tried to damage as few as possible. The choreography to these dances often included skipping, jumping, and kicking. The people would make certain formations as they danced which somewhat resembles square dancing. Sometimes tricks, such as flips or cartwheels, are thrown into the dance, always by men.

I found it interesting that ballet actually originated during the Middle Ages in Milan and was performed before royal courts for entertainment. It began as a dance that was combined with play acting to tell a story, normally five acts long. 

Honors Project: Medieval Dance

The Medieval period of history is the period in time referred to as the “Dark Ages”. The arts in this time period played an important roll in preserving the spirit of the culture. In the beginning, dance was strongly frowned upon by the church. Instead of a joyful outburst of emotions, it was seen as corrupt and wicked; however, once it became more popular, the church changed their viewpoint and even began to include dance in their masses.

Dance was a form of entertainment and celebration. It became a way to interact with neighbors, friends and family. Through dance, people celebrated weddings, the beginning of a season and the birth of a child. Dances often occurred in the streets of an entire village. However, nobles saw these dances as unrefined whereas the noble dances we formal and often gave people of higher status a chance to display their twists and swirls and fancy footwork.

Originally dances were performed by men only; however, as time passed, attitudes and values changed which provided women with the equal opportunity to participate in the same activities as men. Often these dances would tell a story full of joyful emotions. They would also be performed after dinner as a way to promote good digestion and bodily health.

In conclusion, I am ready for this project. I think this will be a fun experience. 

Final project: medieval group

     During the Middle Ages, clothing varied greatly based on social class.  The poor dressed in simple, practical clothes that were often homemade from affordable fabrics such as wool, linen, and sheepskin. Peasant men often wore simple knee-length tunics secured with a belt, while peasant women wore long, simple dresses also secured with some type of belt.   The poor often did not wear shoes, and sumptuary laws prevented them from wearing certain head pieces, colors, and embellishments.
     The clothing of the wealthy, however, was quite different.  The wealthy followed fashion trends, which fluctuated often.  More expensive fabrics were used, including velvet, furs, taffeta, silk, and cotton.  Bright colors were also popular.  Generally, men wore trousers with longer tunics and surcoats. They also wore cloaks, which were often made of fur.  The clothing of wealthy women often consisted of many layers. Underclothing included breeches, hose and a chemise, followed by a long dress.  The dress was usually yellow or white, with lace and gems at the neck and hem.  The dress was covered by a tunic.  Both men and women wore shoes made of velvet, leather, and silk.  Men and women also began to wear elaborate hats.
     Most of what is known about medieval dance comes from art and poetry.  One type of dance that was popular in the twelfth century was the Carole.  It was performed by many people in a ring formation.  This dance was likely based on ancient Greek dances, as well as some traditional midsummer and may festival dances.  Another popular dance was the Estampie.  While no one is entirely sure how this dance was performed, other than it was performed in couples.  It is significant because instrumental music was used.

Dancing the time away

Dancing was very important to people of the Medieval ages.  It was something that everyone, whether they be lords or peasants could participate in doing. It also was something that both sexes good equally well at.  Over all dancing was something special and bonding to the people of Medieval Ages.

     Dancing become a way of celebrating momentous and fun times.  For different occasions people held dances, like for weddings, for births, and even for deaths.  People of different classes rarely danced with one another, there were dances for the rich and dances for the poor, such as country dances in which only the peasants took part in.  There were several different types of dancing such as the Carole Dance, Egg Dance, May Pole Dance, and The Morris Dance. The Morris Dance was the most interesting to research, because in this dance people dressed up like character from Robin Hood. The Egg dance was interesting too because people would dance with eggs all over the floor, and the objective was to damage the least amount of eggs while dancing, this was a part of celebrating Easter.  

There were different styles of dances as well. Originally dancing started out as something only males could do, but soon females were allowed to dance. This was one of the few things that women could participate in as freely as men could in the Medieval Ages. When women began dancing, dancing styles evolved. There were line dances, circle dances and couple dancing.  Sometimes dances were a combination of the styles. Like a couples’ line dance.

    Clothing varied with the people. Peasant men and women usually wore clothing made from basic materials, nothing fancy. Men would wear tunics and pants, maybe a belt. Women usually wore a simple dress, usually with their hair up.  Nobility were elegantly dressed, King and Queens would sometimes have jewels sown into their clothing.  The more regal one dressed, the more prestige one carried. At dances royals usually showed off their best robes, just like people still do today, wearing special clothing for special dancing occasions. 

The most important thing about dancing was that anyone could do it. Also dancing didn’t require royal birth, or a great amount of skill.  Dancing also brought happiness and mirth to the people. People were united under dancing festivities. As I hope we will become even more so! I’m looking forward to our class combining projects and having a blast dancing around.

Medieval dance

     After all the research I did on medieval dance and medieval dress I can definitely say I learned a lot. I learned that medieval dances were simpler than I thought while still retaining an aspect of complexity. From the research I did and the videos I watched I found that their were different dances for each country and there were even different dances for the court and for the country. Something that I thought was very interesting was the striking similarity between the medieval dances and the dances portrayed in the Jane Austen movies, like Pride and Prejudice.
     As far as medieval dress goes I mainly looked at what the medieval monks would have worn. The monks of the medieval period would have worn a wool cloak and hood, just like the ones we see in most movies. The difference however between what the monks in movies wore and what the actual monks would have worn is the color of the garments. We typically see and think of monks wearing brown cloaks and hoods when in actuality they were not. Originally a monk's clothing would not have been dyed any color and therefore it would have been a grey color, which is the color of non-dyed wool.  

Final Project - Shakespeare Scenes

I will play Tom Snout in Act 3 Scene 1 of Midsummer Night's Dream. Snout is a tinker, trying to act in a play with Bottom, Quince, and a few other characters. In this scene, he helps Bottom and Quince decide how to act out their play. While he is not central to the story, Snout, along with the rest of these 'actors', provides some comedy in the play.

I will also play Watchman 1 in Act 3 Scene 3 of Much Ado About Nothing. The watchmen in this play help to clear Hero's name later on. In this scene, Watchmen 1 and 2 take their orders from Dogberry and Verges.

I also play Sir Hugh Evans in Act 4 Scene 2 of Merry Wives of Windsor. Sir Evans wants Slender to marry a girl named Anne Page, but his efforts to bring the two together led to a challenge to a duel. Evans also observes some of the conflicts caused by Falstaff between Master and Mistress Ford. During this scene, he tries to calm an angry Master Ford.

Honors Project: Medieval Dance

Alright I know that I am late on this so I apologize in advance for any monotonous material. Also, my blogger closed me out right before I submitted my blog so I am having to rewrite my whole blog, so this might be a little less informational..

Okay, well describing the types of clothing and cultural aspects of medieval times is not so difficult. There were two main social classes: the rich and the poor. It is as obvious as it sounds when it comes to clothing. Peasants wore shaggy tunics; the men usually wore shore tunics and shirts topped with a cloak, and the women of the lower class wore what was called "kirtles" which were long tunics that came to their ankles. This piece of clothing was wore with a shirt and another shorter kirtle was wore on top when they went out in public. Also, these women would wear buns on their head to signal that they were married, kind of like us wearing wedding bands. The upper class usually put a direct emphasis on the length of their sleeves, and their everyday clothing consisted of flashy attire.

Dancing and music were very special to these two classes though. Most music was played during ceremonies and holidays, but was also played during feasts to help with the digestion of food (a common belief during that time). Most music was played with instruments such as recorders, horns, trumpets, whistles, bells, and drums. These were used to play at both court and country dances. There were actually many dances that existed during the medieval times. I researched two dances: the Carole dance and the Egg dance. The Carole dance consisted of people dancing in a circle and the Egg dance was more of a game in which eggs were laid on the ground and the participants danced among them and tried to dance and break as few eggs as possible.

In conclusion, I just want to say that I am excited about this dance. I love to dance around and goof off, so I feel like this project will be very enjoyable.

dancing group project!

The Medieval Period formed as a part of European history beginning in 476 AD. Along with this period in time came dancing, which was a new concept. At first, dancing was frowned upon and considered “wicked.” As time went on, dancing became more and more popular. Dancing became an activity in which anyone could participate in, needing no experience. Dancing even became popular in churches, beginning with simple swaying to hymns.

To complement the dancing, bands began to play instruments such as tambourines, bells, and some drums. As dancing progressed, the dances were each named differently and categorized as a certain style. Different styles include circle dances, court dances, country dances, and line dances. Some dances involve holding hands and moving slow, while others include jumping around with quicker movements. “The Landler” is a form of a country dance involving spinning and clapping.

Dancing became a very popular form of entertainment, especially at festivals. Some dances told stories through the different moves and expressions and others were just for fun. Dancing was also found to be a good form of exercise and was often done after a dinner. Though dancing originated a long time ago, it is still extremely popular today, but with a more modern style. I am so excited to be part of the dancing group for the final project! J

Medieval Dance Group

Happy Spring break, everyone!!
Like so many others, I am in the Medieval Group for the Honors project! And I am so excited about it! I'm always up for dancing, and I love the challenge of learning something old and yet, new. Because I procrastinated on this blog, almost everyone else in this group has already posted about Medieval time and dance. Therefore, some of this will be a little repetitive...my bad. But please take me at my word, I did actual research on this, and didn't just gather info. from other people's posts. I didn't even read the others... :/

In Medieval times, there were two prevalent types of dance; there was court dancing and country dancing. These may seem self-explanatory...well, they are. One, was preformed in the courts, for kings, or lords, or other people of 'rich' rank. The second, was preformed in the 'country-side', among the 'poorer' group of people.

In those times, the musicians who played the music in all these settings, usually were performers too. They would actually play and dance, at once. I do not understand how this is possible but then again, I am one of the least coordinated individuals ever. Seriously. Something else that was huge in that era, is that dances were extremely specific to a certain country. Each country had kind of...'their' dance, a 'native' dance, if you will. They all looked different, yet probably had a similar feel.

I have officially decided that this will be a great time. Bring it on, final project! :)

Honors Project Medieval Times

During the Medieval times every aspect of life depended on you social class. The rich ate extravagant food, wore expensive clothes, and drank lots of fancy wine. Peasants on the other hand lived a more simple life. They ate plain foods and did not always have meat. They normally only had one tunic and their clothes were not very extravagant because most dyes are more expensive. Peasants usually drank ale or mead, which is kind of like a beer or moonshine. All social classes danced, they just had different styles of dance.

   In the early medieval era, dancing was frowned upon, but soon became very popular an was even incorporated into some forms of worship. Rich people paid attention to the footwork and spins in the dances. Poor people just had fun and competed to see who could dance the fastest. The roughness of their dance was looked down upon. Dancing was used at all kinda of celebrations and parties and every occasion had a different style of dance. Their are two major types of dances which are courtly dances and country dances. All classes danced, even though some people danced differently and it was a very important part of life in the medieval times.

honors final project: shakespeare scenes

I will be playing Bottom in Midsummer Night's dream. I am pretty familiar with this role, but when I researched it I was reminded again of the genius of shakespeare. bottom is a completely ridiculous character. He is totally incompetent but like all truly incompetent people, he has no idea. It's very similar to playing a stock, "dumb blonde" character. Nick Bottom is totally and completely confident in his ability to do everything and be in charge, and totally incapable of doing anything right. He also probably drives every other character crazy. It is very, very fun to play these kinds of characters. They have to be played with total conviction thought, the second the audience knows that I know I'm being obnoxious- then it's not funny anymore. But as long as I firmly believe in things that aren't true the irony is hilarious.

Polonius is a very, very different role than bottom. He is the right hand man to the king in the play Hamlet, and he is Ophelia's dad. In the scene that we're performing, Polonius is confused by Hamlet, who is pretending to be crazy. Because Polonius cannot possibly sympathize with the complexity of emotions that Hamlet is experiencing, he blames Hamlet's strange behavior on Hamlet's love for Ophelia. Hamlet insults Polonius pretty nicely and Polonius only has a vague awareness of the jokes told at his expense, and basically just thinks bringing Ophelia to Hamlet will fix all the problems. Polonius helps the audience understand Hamlet's situation- because Hamlet really ISN'T understood and feels so isolated. Polonius is very much a part of the problem.

Mercutio - Mercutio is one of my all time favorite shakespeare characters. he is entirely a punk. I think I sat behind him in highschool. Really though, he's a teenage boy, an instigator and a troublemaker. Absolute favorite thing was what Shakespeare said about why he had to kill him in the Third Act "lest he steal the show from the major figures of the plot". 

Honors Final Project: Medieval Group

                To begin my blog on medieval times I need to mention A Knight's Tale . . . best knight movie ever!  We should totally show clips or the whole movie during our little medieval dinner/dance.  Speaking of dinner, the first thing I researched was food of course!  I found multiple websites that claim to contain authentic medieval recipes and had a lot of fun facts about what people ate back in those times.  In my studies I learned that the upper and lower classes ate very differently!  The wealthy class cared a lot about their spices and ate dishes that were highly flavorful, while the lower class ate more plain food.  Fruits and vegetables were always cooked because people back in medieval times thought that uncooked food contained diseases.  For banquets and parties the noble men would make all types of exotic dishes to impress their guests.  Aside from normal meats they would also eat peacocks, seal meat, or even whales!  I don't think we'll be having anything like that at our banquet!  One dish that the rich and poor both ate was a stew made of meats, vegetables, and bran called pottage.  All dishes for every social class were also accompanied by bread. 

                As far as dancing goes, there are two basic types from the medieval period: court dance and country dance.  The carole dance was one of the earliest and most popular dances in existence at the time.  This dance took place during Yule-tide or Christmas festivities and was danced in a circle, chain, or procession.  From my research I have learned that most dancing was first popular in France, then England, and then branched out into other regions.  Music was a large part of medieval life and was always a part of parties with different music for different events.  There were also many instruments used during this time, and different instruments would be used for certain occasions.  For example, bells would be used at Christmas time.  Music was played at dinner because it was believed to help with the digestion of food. 

                While many people think of chivalrous knights and romantic couples when discussing the medieval time period, the relationships were actually quite depressing.  Women were seen as property in the noble classes while it was the lower class that married for love.  During the 11th and 12th century passion was considered sinful, but those ideas slowly began to wear away as the rituals of courtly love became more popular.  Slowly men began to fight for the honor of their woman, and the courtly love became the source for the word "courtesy."  

Final Project- Medieval Group

   Early during the medieval period, dancing was either disregarded or declared corrupt by the church. However, with its increasing popularity, the church took a more lenient view and by the end of the middle ages it was sometimes even incorporated into worship. Dancing benefited both the rich and poor because it was a way to promote unity and identity. Dancing required no special skills, just the ability to learn and have fun, and each town had their own unique dance. The peasants danced recklessly, applause going to the fastest and most enduring. Their rough and unrefined way of celebrating was often sneered at by the nobility who prized fancy footwork, twists, and swirls in their more sedate and formal dancing. Regardless of the class of people, dancing was used at all types of celebrations. In the villages, dances signified the birth of a child, marriage, or the beginning of a season and would span the streets of the village, accompanied by drums, lute, tambourine, and bells. In the lives of royals, dances provided entertainment and a reason to gather nobility in one place, often accompanied by timpani drums, lute, bells, and singing.
   Medieval dances represent the rich culture from all over Europe and are the precursor to much modern dancing. Many of our modern line dances and the traditional cultural dances are taken in part from the varied medieval dances. Dances were for couples or groups and they had many different types for different occasions. This small list gives an idea of the myriad options available to the medieval dancers: Circle dances included Carol, Sellingers Round, Official Branle, Estampie, and Saltarello; Court Dances included Basse Dance, Black Alman, Black Nag, and Rufty Tufty; Line Dances included Prince William, La Spagna, the Morris Dance, and the Jig; Country (Folk) Dances include Scottish Dances, the Egg Dance, Ballet, Quadrille, Pavan, Farandole, and Burgundian dance.
    Clothing in the Medieval era varied depending on social class. Most people wore woolen clothing with linen undergarments. The brighter and more elaborate one's garment, the wealthier one was, because of the expense of the dyes and delicate handiwork represented. The Sumptuary Laws distinguished seven social categories and required people dress according to their class, so that people wouldn't live above their means. For men, the tunic was the base of their outfit, accompanied by hose or trousers. The kirtle was the common denominator of women's attire, accompanied by a cloak and various other outergarments.
   Every aspect of medieval life was colored by the prejudices and rules of the class system, whether it was in dancing or the way they dressed.

P.S. You do not have to comment on someone's blog this week- it would just be complimenting their research skills and that's redundant ;)