Courante

Courante is a dance from the Baroque era and of French origin. Triple-meter (three beats to a bar). It is generally the second (or third, if a prelude is used) movement of the Suite de Danses. It often has a lively mood.

In the later Renaissance the dance was done with fast running and jumping steps, as described by Thoinot Arbeau. These steps are sometimes thought to be broken up by hops between the steps, but this is not supported by Arbeau's instructions, which describe each "saut" as resulting in the completion of a new foot placement. The Baroque version of the dance was slower.

Before its French Baroque incarnation, it was Italian corrente. The Italian dance was faster, hopping and running, a courtship dance; however, it is not clear from previous versions of this article whether this is significantly different from the French Renaissance Courante, or whether it is based on a source independent of Arbeau.

During its most common usage, in the Baroque period, the courante came in two varietes; French and Italian. The French type had many cross-accents and was a lively dance. The Italian courante was more free-flowing and running. In a Baroque dance suite, it always fell between the Allemande and the Sarabande.