SCA Dance Cheat Sheets

Carolingian Pavane

Source: apparently a mutated practice pavan originating with Ingrid Brainard; the music is ``Belle qui tiens ma vie'' (Arbeau, 1589).

Setting: A processional line of couples.

Version: 1.1

One ``pavane set'' of steps is a single, single, double.

A:  1- 8  One pavane set forward.
    9-16  One pavane set forward.
   17-24  One pavane set backwards.
   25-32  One pavane set forwards.

B:  1-16  Men kneel. Women go around men in 2 pavane sets
   17-32  Men rise. Men go around women in 2 pavane sets.

Henry of Maldon says that Patri claims that this dance is a folk-dance version of a teaching dance originally written by Ingrid Brainard. Most folks seem to believe that Patri himself wrote it.

It is helpful if the men turn to face their partner when kneeling. This keeps their hind leg out of the way. As played in the SCA, there is occasionally a pause of approximately one measure between repetitions of the music.

Another way that this dance is done is with 3 sets forward and one back, instead of 2 forward, one back, one forward.

One funny story told about this dance, perhaps apocryphal: At a mundane dance class, the teacher claims that pavanes go back to the 1200's or so. A student asks what the evidence is, and the teacher replies, ``Well, we have this pavane from Carolingia...''

The Evans/Sutton translation of Arbeau gives the words as:

Fair, one who holds my heart / Captive within thine eyes,
Whose gracious smiles impart / Secrets of Paradise,
Give me hope to cherish / For without I perish.
Give me hope to cherish / For without I perish.

Fly not, I entreat thee, / For in thy presence fair
I am lost completely / To myself and care.
Thy divine perfection / Claims my whole affection.
Thy divine perfection / Claims my whole affection.

[...]