The most easily accessible source for French Basse Danse material is the Orchesography of Thoinot Arbeau. There are a number of basse danse books and manuscripts, which give more information than Orchesographie.¹

Arbeau gives the music for only one Basse Danse, being Jouyssance Vous Donneray. However, it does make the statement that Basse Danses fall into two main categories, being regular and irregular. Jouyssance Vous Donneray is a regular basse danse, Arbeau gives the steps for several of the irregular basse danses, the music can be obtained from various sources of the period.

Arbeau's distinction between a regular Basse Danse and an irregular one is that for a regular Basse Danse the main part of the dance (excluding the retour) contains 80 bars (20 quaternions). In each 4 bars (one quaternion) the dancers perform either a double, two singles, a Reprise, or a Branle. In the Basse Dance Jouyssance vous Donneray, there are 80 bars to the main part of the dance, and 48 to the retour, therefore it is a regular Basse Danse. Patience also has 80 bars, but Arbeau explains that this is an irregular Basse Danse anyway, without stating why.

Three of the irregular Basse Danses are shown here. These Basse Danses are given for interest's sake only. Arbeau states that they were rarely danced, and only dancers who wanted to show off their memory skills (and no doubt endurance) would request one of these dances at a ball.

Each of these dances (as well as Jouyssance) concludes with a Conge. This is a brief (1-beat reverance), done by facing in to your partner by swivelling your feet, and giving a quick nod of the head, also bending very briefly and slightly at the knees and the waist.

Confortez-moi

Rv Br

SS D SS Rp Br

SS D SS Rp Br

SS DDD SS Rp Br

SS D SS Rp Br

Conge

Toute Frelorei

Rv Br

SS D SS Rp Br

SS DDD SS Rp Br

Conge

Patience

Rv Br

SS D Rp D SS Rp Br

SS DDD Rp Br

SS D SS Rp Br

Conge

SL/SR/DL/DR – Single/Double Left/Right

These steps are all done moving forwards in the same way as for a pavan. Where a SL is followed by a SR, the two steps are done together, in one flowing motion, and not as two separate steps. Two singles, or one double, are done to 4 bars, or one quaternion.

Rv -- Reverance

The reverance for a Basse Danse is done to four bars. It is basically a longish bow to your partner, moving one foot back, and bending forwards at the waist.

Br – Branle

Branle comes from a French word meaning to move from side to side. Here is how the Branle is done according to Arbeau:

On the first bar, turn the body to the left.

On the second bar, turn back to the right, glancing outwards at the spectators

On the third bar, turn back out to the left

On the fourth bar, turn back to the right, glancing towards your partner.

The movements are done with the body only, keeping the feet together.

Rp -- Reprise

A reprise in the French Basse Danse is done in four bars. There are several different versions of the reprise floating about, here is my interpretation of what Arbeau says:

On the first bar, the dancers raise their right foot very slightly, and shake their feet as if shaking the snow off their boots.

On the second bar, repeat the above with the right foot.

On the third bar repeat the above, but this time with the left foot.

On the fourth bar repeat the above with the right foot once again.

This is a more complex Basse Danse than some, and certainly more complex than the majority of the French and Burgundian dances shown here.

The dance consists of two parts, the main Basse Danse and a Retour. Each part concludes with a Conge, or brief (1 bar) reverance, done to a high point in the music.

The Basse Danse sequence is:

Rv Br

SL SR

DL

Rp DL

Rp Br

SL SR

DL DR DL

Rp DL

Rp Br

SL SR

DL

Rp Br

Conge

The Retour is:

Br

DL

Rp Br

SL SR

DL DR DL

Rp DL

Rp Br

Conge

Laid out as above, the dance is a little easier to remember. The main dance sequence consists of Single-Single-Double-Reprise-Double-Reprise-Branle. If you can remember this, then starting with the Reverance and the initial Branle, the dance becomes this:

1. Dance sequence.

2. Dance sequence with two extra doubles inserted.

3. Dance sequence with a Reprise-Double removed.

4. Conge.

5. Double-Reprise-Branle sequence. (The last three bits of a dance sequence).

6. Dance sequence with two extra doubles inserted. (The same as 2).

7. Conge.