[Music] broke dance is an exquisite expression of an era of splendor it reflects an age that admires refined elegance harmony and opulent ornamentation the minuet was the most popular social dance of the 18th century the French nobility adopted the minuet in 1670 and it remained popular for a hundred twenty years with vestiges of its form alive today its popularity was greatest at the first half of the 18th century it expressed a play of courtship which shows the stylized mating process that was accepted throughout court society demi coupé a and flu array and Demi COO Bay and flu array they're ready to touch right hand so they spy roll in he then touch right hands and continue circling and they retreat at the very last moment [Music] around the middle of the century another dance began to become popular in the ballroom it was called the allemande the unique innovation of the dance is that people were touching hands in an intertwined position hand holding was a signature of the Aleman the woman turns left under the man's right arm they go into the rosette and create another rosette and and in her window [Music] as the century progressed contra dances became very popular they were less confining and complex they gave more people the opportunity to dance at one time it allowed for inclusion of all rather than the traditional exclusion many contra dances have two basic steps one is the contra tongue hop step step hop step step one is the assembly ah some lay flat top assembly first the dancers bow to the presents then the dancers bow to one another the first couple relate to each other then the first couple relates to the second couple the first and second couples relate to each other and the first couple comes around to a new home [Music]