The Pavane was a slow, stately processional dance of the Renaissance courts, featuring symmetrical figures and noble bearing. Paired with the galliard in the pavane-galliard suite, it dominated aristocratic dancing from the 1520s through the 17th century.

Where did the Pavane originate?

The Pavane originated in Italy/Spain in the 1520s.

What time signature is the Pavane danced in?

The Pavane is danced in 2/2 time.

What tempo is the Pavane danced at?

The Pavane is typically danced at 60-80 BPM.

What is the character of the Pavane?

The Pavane is characterized as stately, processional, elegant, dignified.

Dance History›Historic Renaissance Court›Pavane

Historic Renaissance CourtPAV

Pavane

Also known as: Pavan, Paduana

OriginItaly/Spain

Era1520–1580

Rhythm2/2 time

Tempo60-80 BPM

CharacterStately, processional, elegant, dignified

History & Cultural Context

The Pavane emerged in Italy and Spain during the early 16th century as a courtly processional dance. The dance's name possibly derives from Padua (Paduana) or from the peacock's proud gait (pavone). The Pavane became central to Renaissance court life across Europe, particularly in Italy and France. It featured slow, dignified steps performed in geometric patterns, reflecting Renaissance ideals of order and elegance. The dance was typically followed by a faster galliard as a contrasting pair. Famous composers including Attaignant and Byrd wrote pavane music. By the 17th century, as faster dances gained popularity, the Pavane gradually declined but remained historically significant.

Cultural Significance

The Pavane embodied Renaissance court ideology, representing order, nobility, and refined elegance. It was danced by kings and queens during diplomatic ceremonies. The dance's geometric patterns reflected Renaissance mathematical ideals. Its gradual decline represented the shift from Renaissance to Baroque aesthetics favoring greater dynamism and virtuosity.

Peak Popularity

1570s

90% estimated global awareness

Signature Figures

Double
Single
Syde
Cadence

Notable Codifiers

Thoinot Arbeau
Fabrizio Caroso

Dance Lineage

Gave rise to:

Sarabande

Track Your Pavane Progress

Practice Pavane figures between lessons with Figure Focus — step-by-step breakdowns, floor diagrams, and progress tracking. Free to use.

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Pavane Playlists

Curated collections on the LODance YouTube channel — performances to watch, lessons to learn from, and the right music to practice with. Tap a collection to play.

▶ Performances · Open on YouTube →

Pavane Music & Tempo

Drawn from 25 Pavane tracks in the LODance music library.

Example tracks at practice tempo

Pavane: The Funeralls — Anthony Holborne80 BPM
Pavana St. Thomas Wake — John Bull60 BPM
Pavane, Op. 50 — Gabriel Fauré62 BPM
Pavane of the Sons of the Morning — Ralph Vaughan Williams64 BPM
Pavane pour une infante défunte — Maurice Ravel66 BPM
Pavane de La Guerre (Gervaise) — Alan Lambton78 BPM

Browse & play all 25 Pavanetracks in the Music Library →

Pavane on screen

Films and television where Pavane appears, with the sequences worth watching for.

The Moor's Pavane (1950)1 sequence indexedCourt-dance suite based on Othello · chor. José Limón

Pavane in performance

3 staged works in the Limelight catalogue contain Pavane, 1608–1931 — 1 of them in a named act or number.

Job: A Masque for Dancing1931
Ballet
Scene VII · Elihu's Dance of Youth and Beauty
Scene VII/VIII, the Pavane of the Heavenly Host and the closing Altar Dance and Heavenly Pavane — The Heavenly Host is given a pavane, a slow processional court dance, both before and again as part of the ballet's final celebratory dances. Source: "Pavane o…
The Moor's Pavane
Ballet · José Limón · defining style
the entire ballet — the narrative is structured throughout as a pavane, a stately courtly processional dance, with formal, measured choreography deliberately contrasted against the emotional violence of the plot Source: "These dramatic actions and events ta…
Il ballo delle ingrate1608
Ballet
The central danced episode: the entrance and exit of the ingrates — Couples dance 'two by two' with 'grave steps' - a slow, weighted, processional pattern for paired dancers, characteristic of the grave couple-dances of the period. Source: "the spirits of t…

Every claim above is quoted from a cited source and names where in the work the style appears. Claims we could not place or could not quote are held back from this list and shown on the work’s own page instead. Browse the full performance catalogue →

What to Wear

Attire guidance for Pavane and other Historic Renaissance Court dances. Each card below is sized to the moment — class, practice, social, or competition — because the wardrobe shifts as the stakes do.

Reading the cards

Class — group instruction; comfort first.

Practice — rehearsal; dress like the dance.

Social — public dance floor; smart casual to formal.

Competition — judged events; rule-bound costume.

In Class

Comfortable shoes with low heels, regular practice wear. Some instructors encourage long skirts for women to practice managing fabric.

Social Dancing

Renaissance faires and historical dance balls: period costume expected (gowns, doublets). Academic reconstruction groups range from full costume to smart casual.

Competition

Performance-only; full Renaissance period costume for staged demonstrations.

Shoes

Flat or low-heeled soft shoes. Renaissance dance shoes were essentially soft leather slippers. Modern equivalent: jazz shoes or soft ballet shoes with leather soles.

🎯

In Practice

Long skirt practice teaches fabric management; many groups keep one practice skirt available even for participants who normally wear pants.

Price Range

Budget: Soft ballet shoes or jazz shoes $30–80; long practice skirt $40–100.
Mid: Reproduction Renaissance footwear $120–250; commissioned period gowns $300–1,000.
Premium: Hand-stitched reproduction costume $1,500–6,000+.

Quick Tips

•Suede-soled shoes allow controlled sliding and pivoting — essential for most partner dances.
•Avoid rubber soles on dance floors; they grip too much and can cause knee injuries.
•Bring a separate pair of clean shoes for the dance floor to keep it in good condition.

Evolution of Dance Attire →Shop the look · Gear Guide →

Sources & Further Reading

Where This Dance Is Documented

Thoinot Arbeau – Orchésographie (1589); Fabritio Caroso – Il Ballarino (1581)

An editor's note on where the technique for this dance is actually written down — sometimes a named book, sometimes the fact that no such book exists. A judgement, not a count of what we hold.

Cultural & Historical Context

Pavane emerged from Italy/Spain during the 1520s—1580s. Understanding the cultural roots, musical traditions, and social circumstances of this era enriches appreciation for the dance's characteristics and significance.

Formative Influences

Codifiers & Standardizers:

Thoinot Arbeau, Fabrizio Caroso

Signature Movement Vocabulary:

Double, Single, Syde, Cadence

Primary Source Documents

The Library of Dance contains public-domain primary sources for dance history. Copyrighted modern syllabi are indexed with purchase links to their respective copyright owners. Search by dance name or codifier to discover primary source documents.

Last reviewed: August 2026 — This dance profile synthesizes historical research, cultural documentation, and contemporary practice knowledge to provide authoritative context.

Related Dances

Galliard(H-REN)

Almain(H-REN)

More in Historic Renaissance Court

Galliard

The Galliard was a fast, athletic Renaissance dance featuring high kicks, jumps, and intricate footwork. Typically paired with the Pavane, it provided exciting contrast and showcased individual skill and virtuosity.

Branle

The Branle was a French group dance featuring side-to-side stepping in formations, often performed as a processional or chain. It became a versatile social dance popular across all social classes.

Almain

The Almain was a stately Renaissance couple dance of German origin, featuring double steps and turning figures. It became popular in courts across Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Volta

The Volta was a late-16th-century couple dance, related to the galliard, whose defining figure is a turn in which the leader assists the follower's lift. It was documented at the French and English courts and described by Arbeau (1588), Caroso (1581/1600), and Negri (1602).

Allemande

A grave duple-time couple dance in which a file of couples travels up and down the hall, built on a plain pattern of three steps and a lift, usually with a quicker section at the end. It is one of the simplest social dances of the period, which is precisely why it was danced by everyone in the room rather than only by the trained.

Basse Danse

The stately couple dance of fifteenth-century court life, danced with the feet kept close to the floor, which is what low means here and what distinguished it from the leaping dances that usually followed it. It is the earliest European social dance whose step sequences were recorded in a form that can still be read, so it marks the beginning of the documentary record for social dance.