This article is about the 17th and 18th century French dance. For the American dance practice, see Contra dance.
Contredanse is a French dance of the late 17th and 18th centuries. The contredanse developed out of the English country dance; a dance form which emerged in England in the 15th century and was introduced to the French court of Louis XIV in 1684. The country dance, along with other English dances like the hornpipe and jig, were collectively known in the French court as the anglaise dance. As the popularity of the anglaise dances grew, French dance masters began experimenting with mixing French and English dances steps and styles which led to the creation of the contredanse.
↑Aldrich, Elizabeth (1997). "Social Dancing in Schubert's World". In Erickson, Raymond (ed.). Schubert's Vienna. Yale University Press. p.128. ISBN9780300070804.
↑The Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time. Vol.2. Dover. 1965. p.628.