Galliards

Obviously the Galliard was one of the more popular dances of the time period, if not the most popular dance (it was said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favourite dance). The galliard was done in France as it appeared in Arbeau's book and Arbeau spends some time listing various galliard variations, some of which are transcribed elsewhere in this book.

Negri devotes a large section of his book to Galliards, and there are two other sources of the time period (Lupi and Luti) who have either written entire books or large sections on galliards. There are also a couple of manuals and manuscripts from late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Spain that deal with galliard variations, and a large amount of galliard music written and published in Italy, Spain, France, Holland, and England.

Italian sources for the galliard

The galliard (or gagliarda) appeared or was referred to in several sources from 16^th Century Italy:

• Caroso's Il Ballarino published in 1580 contains a balletto called Gagliarda di Spagna (Spanish Galliard), however it is a balletto in duple time throughout and doesn't appear to be a galliard like those seen elsewhere. It does contain some galliard steps, such as the sottopiede (seen elsewhere in Italian galliards), and the “Cadenza a modo di Gagliarda”. This dance is reprinted in Caroso's Nobilta di Dame, in 1600.

• Prospero Lutii's book Opera bellissima ... di gagliarda, published in 1589, is entirely devoted to galliard variations. It contains about 35 different galliard variations.

• Negri's Le Gratie d'Amore, published in 1602, contains three separate treatises, the second of which is devoted to galliard variations. After listing 5 rules that cover social etiquette (including how to approach a lady, how to do a riverenza, and how to hold your cape, Negri then moves on to a total of 50 rules covering galliard variations, in what appears to be increasing complexity. These rules include the almost infamous “salti del fiocco” or jumps of the tassel, whereby the dancer performs various leaping and spinning galliard variations kicking a tassel as he passes.

• Livio Lupi da Carravagio's book Mutanze Di Gagliarda, Tordiglione, Passo e mezzo, Canari e Passeggi, published in 1600 and again in 1607 contains a large chapter on galliard variations.

Improvisation

It is obvious from the sources that the galliard is an improvised dance, much as it was in France at the time. The three books that list variations (Negri, Lutii, and Lupi) all give various tabulated variations that would probably be memorised, in full or in part, by a dancer. The dancer would then take the various variations that he or she memorised onto the dance floor to perform in whatever order he or she saw fit.

Structure

The galliard was not necessarily a solo dance, and not necessarily a dance for couples or partners. It was obviously relatively free-form in its structure on the dance floor, even more so than the Canario.

Negri discusses various rules for men, and various rules for women. The other sources don't necessarily differentiate between steps for men and for women, although this may have been implied by their authors based on the social context without necessarily being stated.

Negri discusses various sequences where a man or a woman will lead a partner, and occasionally more than one partner, perform a riverenza, walk a little onto the floor, and dance galliard variations together. Rule 54 discusses a short section where two men and two women dance the galliard together, then the men return to their place and the women select two other men to dance with, and this continues until “the dance is ended”, which could mean when the musicians finish playng their set piece.

Basic Italian galliard variations

The following relatively simple galliard variations have been taken from the sources. More complicated ones are available in Negri, Lutii, and Lupi.

Travelling Step

1

kL

Kick forwards with the left foot

2

PsL

Step forwards onto the left foot.

3

kL

Kick forwards with the left foot again

4

kR

Kick forwards with the right foot.

5 – 6

CdR

Cadenza.

Negri – Rule VI

1 – 2

kR

Kick forwards with the right foot.

3 – 4

PsR

Step forwards onto the right foot, raising the left foot slightly as you step.

5 – 6

CdL

Cadenza Left.

The same step would then be done again, on the opposite foot.

Negri – Rule VI

1

PsL

Step forwards onto the left foot

2

PsR

Step forwards onto the right foot

3

PsL

Step forwards onto the left foot, raising it high as you do so.

4

PsL

Step forwards again on the left foot, raising it again slightly higher.

5 (½ beat)

PsR

A faster step forwards onto the right foot.

5 ½ -- 6

CdR

Cadenza.

Rule VII – Campanella

1

Bell step

Push the left foot forwards slightly, then pull it back while hopping on the right foot.

2 – 4

Repeat

Do the above three more times.

5 – 6

CdR

Cadenza.