The White Dove Dance

Please note the original date of this post!

A contemporary image of the White Dove shown in traditional weeping mode

The recent rediscovery of detailed documentation of the famous White Dove ritual dance has finally enabled dance historians to effectively locate it within the long tradition of syncretic miming dances tracing back to the well-documented branle subgenre of sixteenth century France and perhaps best considered in light of the later tradition epitomized by the early nineteenth century French chicken dance (La Poule), as suggested by its subtle incorporation of the pas de basque setting step.

Careful evaluation of the elaborate sequences of the dance and the skill required to mesh them with the irregularly structured traditional music that has been handed down to us indicates that this was no amateur social dance.  Performance of the ritual was likely limited to a dedicated corps of acolytes who underwent significant training and rehearsal prior to public performance in specially designed costumes, culminating in the metaphysical liberation of the soul, as symbolized by the release of white doves at the climax of the dance and the subsequent embodiment of the dove via the emulation of the motion of its wings by the corps.

While it is generally accepted that the tune of the White Dove dance originated in the Netherlands, the international transmission of the performing arts is evidenced by the undeniable fact that the first known lyrics were written in English, and the surviving documentation of the dance is associated with a rendition in Spanish.  As the lyrics and the complex code concealed within them and the symbolism of the Weeping Dove have been extensively analyzed elsewhere, and the details of the traditional costumes are beyond the scope of my studies, I will focus here on the practical performance of the elements of the dance and the required sequence matched to the music.  The dance elements may be divided as follows:

• the marching sequence, having both regular and extended versions
• the jumps to the left
• the arming sequence
• the Embodiment of the Dove

Unless otherwise specified, arms are moved counter-body (left arm forward when stepping on the right foot and vice-versa). 

Taking the segments one at a time, counting by beats:

The marching sequence, traditionally performed by a group of seven dancers (note the numerological significance) standing side by side.  This lengthy combination of either fifty-two (regular) or sixty (extended version) movements is the core of the dance, repeated five times.

• The dancers begin in a line, side by side, facing front, and move in unison throughout; the music is broken into groups of 12-8-12-20 for the regular sequence, or 12-8-12-28 for the extended version, so I have broken the movements down similarly.

12
4    four walking steps forward, RL RL
4    four walking steps to make a complete turn counter-clockwise, RL RL
4    four walking steps to make a complete turn clockwise, RL RL

8
4    four walking steps backward, RL RL
2    two walking steps forward, RL
2    kick R foot forward then extend it back, touching without weight and leaning forward

12
2    two walkings steps forward, RL
2    hop on R foot, kicking L to side; cut to L foot, kicking right to side
2    cut to R foot, kicking L to side; close L to R
2    lift R foot, knee bent; extend R foot backward turning 1/4 clockwise
(dancers are now in a single-file line facing 90 degrees from original direction)
2    two walking steps forward, RL
2    jump backward onto R foot, kicking L to side; cut to L foot, kicking right to side

20
2    cut to R foot, kicking L to side; step onto L foot and turn counter-clockwise halfway
(dancers are now in single-file line facing opposite the previous)
4    lift R foot; extend R foot behind and touch without weight; walk forward RL
2    hop on R foot, kicking L to side; cut to L foot, kicking right to side
2    cut to R foot, kicking L to side; cut to L foot, kicking right to side
(turn one quarter clockwise to all face front side by side again)
10   hesitation: R fwd, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, close L

• In the extended version the final segment is 28 beats and the hesitation is as follows:

18    hesitation: R fwd, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, L fwd, rock onto R, L back, rock onto R, close L

• Note that during the side-kicks, which are essentially Arbeau's ru de vache, the arms are held still at sides.
  
  
• the hesitation sequence is the same pattern as the ragtime-era Double Hesitation (described here), though leading on the opposite foot

The jumps to the left, in which the dancers move sequentially, repeated in this reconstruction only three times.

• after a one-beat pause, each dancer in turn makes a tiny jump with the left foot to the left, as if leaping over a small object followed immediately by a similar lift and close with the right foot.  This is repeated by each of the seven dancers in turn.  Arms are held still at the sides during this segment.  Think:

1    pause
2    jump-close
(repeat 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

The arming sequence, in which the primary focus is the regular, almost trancelike, rhythmic motion of the arms in alternation, though the aforementioned pas de basque makes a brief appearance towards the end, repeated four times in this reconstruction:

8    walk forward seven steps, RL RL RL R, then jump onto both feet 
8    repeat moving backward
12  alternately raise each arm to shoulder height and lower again
4    2 pas de basque leading with R foot then with L (leap across forward, close, shift weight)
4    walk four steps forward, RL RL

• Note that in the source the sequence includes only the forward walking steps followed by twenty-eight (!!!) beats of the arm movements.  Due to elisions in the description, I believe this to be a corruption of the dance.  The missing backward movement has been reincorporated and the number of arm movements reduced to match the structure given in the music.

The Embodiment of the Dove, in which the dancers assume an avian nature for the final moments of the dance only (11 beats, pause, and bow):

• arms, extended in wing position (see the very end of the source for helpful illustration), move up and down twice at a slow pace then seven times at a quick pace, ending raising once more to the higher position, holding, then sweeping into a low bow.  Think:

1    up
2    down
3    up
4    down
&5 up-down
(repeat for &6 &7 &8 &9 &10)
&11 up-down-up, hold
(pause, then bow)

• with each "down", the knees (held together) bend, allowing the lower body to thrust backwards slightly rather than maintaining and erect posture throughout (ref. illustration)

Performance note
Extended review of the source (see below) and intensive practice are strongly recommended in order to attain the precision needed to coordinate arm, leg, knee, hip, head, and body movements in each sequence as well as to memorize the full progression of the dance.

 

Sequence of movements
The overall sequence, beginning immediately with the music, no introduction, counted in beats:

52    marching sequence (regular)
8      jumps to the left (flute music)
36    arming sequence
36    arming sequence
52    marching sequence (regular)
36    arming sequence
8      jumps to the left (flute music)
60    marching sequence (extended)
8      jumps to the left (flute music)
52    marching sequence (regular)
36    arming sequence
60    marching sequence (extended)
11+  Embodiment of the Dove

In general, the marching sequence is associated with the chorus of the lyrics, the arming sequence with the verses, the jumps to the left with a brief flute "tootle" (though only when the "tootle" is not incorporated into the verses), and the Embodiment of the Dove is performed only at the end, since it would obviously be inappropriate for the dancers, having fully Embodied the White Dove, to repeat the earlier, earthier movements.

Source
The documentation of the dance from which I worked may be viewed online here; note once again that this is associated with a contemporary Spanish rendition of the lyrics.  Elements of the dance, including the final apotheosis of the dancers-as-doves, are scattered throughout the source and are, unfortunately, incomplete.  The omissions have been filled in by reference to contemporary sources, and the overall sequence as proposed here that which seems to best fit the musical structure.  I eagerly anticipate continued dialogue regarding my interpretation of these elements.  More information about its Dutch origins may be found here and an additional source for the music (with its English lyrics) here.

Comments

[Joshua Kronengold]

I'm glad somebody's celebrating this year!