Talk:Minuet step

Alternative description
I would like to offer an alternative description for this page. I am new to Wikipedia and I am unsure of the protocol. This is my alternative text, which I find clearer -

The Steps of the Minuet

The 18th century English minuet is danced to music with six beats in the bar. The dancer takes four steps per bar, always starting each bar with the right foot, touching the floor on beats 1, 3, 4, and 5. Thus R * L R L * giving the distinctive minuet rhythm.

The step starts, in effect, on the last beat of the previous bar with a plié (sink) and levé (lift) of the right foot, which is placed with emphasis on the first beat of the new bar. In the second beat the left foot slows as it passes the right, to land on the third beat. Beats 3, 4 and 5 follow with quick steps and the dancer pauses, poised, on the sixth beat ready for the opening plié and levé of the next bar.

The dancer may move forwards, backwards or to either side, maintaining the rhythm in a continuous flow. When moving to the side, the left foot usually passes behind the right on beat 3 and in front of the right on beat 5.

Apart from the plié, the dancer’s weight is on the ball of the foot throughout with the heels high off the ground. The body is balanced with the centre of gravity just under the dancer’s diaphragm. Hand and arm movements are relaxed and open, moving elegantly with the body.

Typical patterns of a minuet for two dancers include a Z shaped path, (left, forward-right, and left or vice versa) facing each other all the time they dance and passing each other at the middle of the second leg, or circling each other facing inwards.

Link 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yurw5Cf4HY

Link 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-a2D0Rwr8w

By 1790-1800 the step may have become more like a waltz step. Step with the right foot on beat 1 pause for 2 and 3 and do the final three steps on 4,5 and 6, thus R * * L R L.

I would appreciate people's views. If you all agree, I will replace the whole page with the new text.

--Mgnotley (talk) 11:53, 12 November 2010 (UTC)


 * It is unfortunate that edits of Mgnotley were reverted! They were a decided improvement. The first link was extremely helpful. 68.173.171.34 (talk) 06:25, 21 April 2011 (UTC)


 * The plie is NOT always only on the right foot in Link 1. It would be good to state that the asterisks mark the beginning of a bar of music (or a pair of bars of music if written in 3/4).68.173.171.34 (talk) 06:35, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

Source: from public domain book http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/musdi:@field(DOCID+@lit(M15841)), An American Ballroom Companion. Mikkalai 00:33, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Capitalization?
What is the significance of the unusual capitalization in this entry, e.g. "Ways"? Are these terms with special ballroom dance-meanings, or just typos? --Connel MacKenzie 17:28, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

It's just Old-Time talk. See Capitalization. Motmot 09:51, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * FWIW at this late point in time, almost all of the material proves to be uncredited direct quotation from an 18th-century source, with a number of minor alterations, mostly of no help whatever in understanding the prose. I have restored the original text, and provided inline citations.—Jerome Kohl (talk) 05:05, 31 May 2011 (UTC)