@@Amaryllis-r5z Indeed they did, in the movie, and it's a wonderful tune. It was first published as a dance in 1695, in one of John Playford's books called 'The Dancing Master'. Mr Beveridge was a court dancing master, and the original movements work really well with the French 'baroque' steps he would have taught. By Jane Austen's time most country dances were much more bouncy. The film-makers seem to have taken bits of dances from around 1800 and got the actors to dance them to the older, slower tune. This seems to happen quite a lot in movies!
This is likely to be the correct tempo of the dance as it should be danced with a fleuret step, but it is a progressive longways country dance and not a Court dance. I don't know what the Columbine is up to as she doesn't usually feature in this dance - artistic licence, I guess!
@@bronktug2446 The tune and figures (= the paths traced by each dancer) were published in 1695 by John Playford in one of his books of country dances. If you search for The Dancing Master you can see it on line. As JA says, it's a longways, meaning lots of couples dancing in two lines, and they'd do it mainly for sociable pleasure, using the nice light fleuret step. A court dance has a lot more fancy steps and is for a display in a royal court. The choreographer here -- who wasn't John Playford! -- evidently wanted to make more of a performance of it, and added the Commedia dancer. Bronk Tug, you're near the mark when you guess minuet (or menuet). Minuet count is *123/ 123*, and this is *1 and 2 and 3 and*. Both are in triple time.
FRAGIORGIO1 You're right, but this woman is dressed in the theatrical commedia dell'arte costume of Arlecchina/Columbina. The characteristic ruffs of XVI/early XVIIth century were also used as an element of a typical commedia dell'arte costume in the early 18th century, as a reference look at some paintings of Antoine Watteau.
Actually, none of them. I'm just an enthusiast of the history of costume and history of european art, music&theatre.(especially commedia dell'arte). My interests usually gravitates around history and art in general, but I study something else.
Nonsense. Playford was not a choreographer. Playford did not compose this music. Longways progressive dance (that is: more than two couples). No fifth person in harlequin garb in any version.
Well, Graham, this I suppose is a consequence of all those block-buster Jane Austen movies with dazzling costumes and wildly invented dances. ; ) One can at least applaud the enthusiasm of the performers, and hope that they'll encourage some viewer to have a go -- one hopes, with a well-informed teacher like yourself!
