gavotte
Noun: 1. A medium-paced French dance: A gavotte is a formal, courtly dance of French origin, performed in a moderate tempo. It is characterized by its distinctive rhythm and was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. 2. Music for this dance: A gavotte is also a piece of music composed in quadruple time (4/4 or 2/2) to accompany this dance. It often features a moderate tempo and phrases that begin in the middle of the bar.
The word "gavotte" is used to refer specifically to the historical dance or its accompanying musical form. It is a countable noun. - Referring to the dance: "The performers practiced the intricate steps of the gavotte." - Referring to the music: "The suite included a lively gavotte."
- The ballroom dancers opened the evening with a stately gavotte.
- Bach composed several gavottes for the cello.
- In her music history class, she learned to identify the rhythmic pattern of a gavotte.
- Historical/Cultural Context: The term is primarily used in discussions of Baroque music, historical dance, and musicology. It describes a specific, fixed form within dance suites.
- Figurative Use (Rare): Occasionally used metaphorically to describe any formal or patterned series of movements.
- The politicians engaged in a complex gavotte of negotiations.
- Gavot: An alternative, less common spelling for "gavotte."
- Dance (general term)
- Courante (another Baroque dance, but faster)
- Sarabande (another Baroque dance, but slower)
- Freestyle dance
- Improvisation (in music)
There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the word "gavotte."
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music composed in quadruple time for dancing the gavotte
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an old formal French dance in quadruple time
