Arbeau's Galliard Sequences, Part 2: Extended Step Sequences

This is the second in a series of five posts covering the different galliard sequences given in the 1589 work Orchésographie (available in English translation as Orchesography).  The first post in the series (here) covered the basic rhythm and steps of the galliard plus six sequences in the basic cinq pas pattern.  This post covers the four double-length sequences Arbeau describes along with his principles for creating other eleven-step or longer variations.

Eleven-step sequences
Just as the basic cinq pas (five step) rhythm takes six beats of music and includes four movements plus a two-count cadence (jump and land), the double-length eleven-step sequences take twelve beats of music: ten movements plus a cadence.  A full variation to the left and right will thus take four bars of 6/4 music (or eight of 3/4, depending on your barring method.)

Arbeau's general principle for forming an eleven-step sequence is to replace the first cadence with two other movements or with a fleuret, a series of three rapid kicks about which more will be said in a later post in this series.  One could thus construct a simple eleven-step sequence by simply doing eleven kicks and a cadence.  But Arbeau helpfully provides four eleven-step sequences for those who do not wish to compose their own.  He notes that these sequences are particularly appropriate to the end of a dance and also recommends turning twice around during each set of eleven movements, reversing direction on the repeat.

To form sequences longer than eleven steps (seventeen, twenty-three, or more), one can follow the same principle of replacing two or three mid-sequence cadences with pairs of steps or fleurets.  I don't find it very satisfying musically to ignore so many cadences, however, and Arbeau didn't bother giving any suggested sequences longer than eleven steps.

Starting foot
As in the previous post, each sequence has been reordered if necessary to end in posture right (right foot forward and left back) in order to enable easy sequencing.  There are some challenges with this in this set of variations, which are discussed below in the individual sequence descriptions.

Eleven-step sequences
(to be read vertically, left column then right column; see previous post for step descriptions)

1. An eleven-step sequence.
1    back L                                back R
2    cut L to kick R                   cut R to kick L
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    back L                                back R
6    cut L to kick R                   cut R to kick L
1    back R                                back L
2    cut R to kick L                   cut L to kick R
3    back L                                back R
4    cut L to kick R                   cut R to kick L
5    jump                                   jump
6    posture L                            posture R

Note that one begins the sequence by kicking the left foot back.  If one has ended the preceding sequence in posture right, the left foot will already be behind the right.

2. Another eleven-step sequence.
1    back R                                back L
2    kick R                                 kick L
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    posture L                            posture R
6    kick L                                 kick R
1    posture R                            posture L
2    kick R                                 kick L
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    jump                                   jump
6    posture L                            posture R

This sequence has one leg swinging back and forth (three or four times) twice in each eleven counts, and it adds two extra postures on the fifth and seventh counts.  One also twice kicks forward with the leg which is already forward in the posture.  As given above, it initiates with a backward kick of the right foot rather than the left, but it still ends on the posture right.  The back kick right when the right foot is already forward from ending the proceeding sequence with a posture right is actually more graceful than the back kick left that initiates the first eleven-step.

3. Another eleven-step sequence.
1    kick L                                 kick R
2    kick L                                 kick R
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    posture L                            posture R
6    kick L                                 kick R
1    posture R                            posture L
2    kick R                                 kick L
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    jump                                   jump
6    posture L                            posture R

This sequence is identical to the second one other than the first two steps of each eleven, which replace the swinging of one leg back and forth with a double kick forward, meaning hop twice and at least attempt to bring the leg backward after the first kick to make the second one distinct.

4. Another eleven-step sequence.
1    back L                                back R
2    cut L to kick R                   cut R to kick L
3    back L                                back R
4    cut L to kick R                   cut R to kick L
5    posture L                            posture R
6    kick L                                 kick R
1    posture R                            posture L
2    kick R                                 kick L
3    back R                                back L
4    kick R                                 kick L
5    jump                                   jump
6    posture L                            posture R

This sequence is also closely related to the second one.  This time the first four steps are a sequence of one foot kicking back and the other forward, repeated twice.  After that, the rest of the sequence is identical.

Next in the series: slowing things down with two- and three-step sequences!