MusiLLection

The term Anglaise derives from the French word meaning “English” and refers to a group of dances of English origin that gained widespread popularity across Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These dances were embraced particularly in France, where they were absorbed into courtly and social dance traditions, often undergoing stylistic refinement in the process. Characterized by lively and energetic rhythms, the anglaise typically required dancers to arrange themselves in chains or long lines. The emphasis on continuous motion and rhythmic drive gave the dance a spirited and communal character, distinguishing it from more stately or formally structured court dances. During the eighteenth century, the term anglaise began to appear sporadically in purely instrumental music, detached from its original choreographic function. In this context, it referred less to a specific dance form and more to a general stylistic gesture—suggesting brightness, rhythmic vitality, a...