Dance encyclopedia

Minuet

French folk dance, which over time became a court dance, in 3/4 meter and moderate tempo.

FranceFrench folk danceclassical dance musicballroom dance
Minuet
Image: Pearson Scott Foresman · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

About Minuet

A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in 34 time. The English word was adapted from the Italian minuetto and the French menuet.

The term also describes the musical form that accompanies the dance, which subsequently developed more fully, often with a longer musical form called the minuet and trio, and was much used as a movement in the early classical symphony. While often stylized in instrumental forms, composers of the period would have been familiar with the popular dance.

From the Wikipedia article “Minuet”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Minuet is associated with France. Explore related traditions below or compare it with the most popular dance styles in the United States.

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