Four Short Festive Dances

Four Short Festive Dances is a fun little selection that allows students the opportunity to learn about different dance styles from various areas of the world. The first dance is a “galliard,” which is a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the sixteenth century. The second dance is a “waltz,” which is a ballroom and folk dance in triple time (3/4). “Samba,” the third dance, is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia, with its roots in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. “Hoe-Down” is a type of American folk dance or square dance in duple meter and also the musical form associated with it. It is the composer’s hope that your audience and students will enjoy performing this work and also learning about the four dances associated in this work.