Annotation: Dance & Provençal Song, Keats' Ode to a Nightingale

Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

Keats' poetry creates vivid images but to better understand this line, what type of dance and song was he referring to?

The Farandole originated in Greece but was very popular in both Provence and Catalonia. It was a festival dance and performed on feast days/

"This is a snaking chain dance, with a leader up front and all of the dancers holding hands, following behind each other."¹

The Estampie is a musical style of the 13th and 14th Centuries. It's also believed to have been a dance but its steps haven't survived.

"The estampie is said to be a dance that is difficult, but with less movement than the ductia, its name meaning 'standing/stationary feet'." ¹

Sources

¹Ollerenshaw, Jaysen . "Medieval Dance." Joan & Crispin. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2012. <http://aelflaed.homemail.com.au/doco/earlydance.html>.