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GALLIARD

Volume 7 · 102 words · 1797 Edition

or Gagliarda, a sort of dance anciently in great request; consisting of very different motions and actions, sometimes proceeding terra à terra or smoothly along; sometimes capering; sometimes along the room, and sometimes across. The word is French, gaillarde; or rather Italian; and literally signifies "gay, merry, sprightly." This dance was also called Romanesque, because brought from Rome.

Thoinot Arbeau, in his Orchesography, describes it as consisting of five steps, and five positions of the feet, which the dancers performed before each other, and whereof he gives us the score or tablature, which is of Galliarda fix minimis, and two triple times.