A dansa (Old Occitan: [ˈdansa, ˈdaⁿsa]), also spelt dança, was an Old Occitan form of lyric poetry developed in the late thirteenth century among the troubadours.
Both terms derive from Occitan words for "to dance": dansar and balar/ballar.
The third part of the stanza is identical to the refrain (refranh) in form.
A desdansa (or desdança) was the opposite of a dansa, not in form but in content.
Whereas a dansa had joyful lyrics and lively music, a desdansa was sad and lamenting, much like a planh designed for dance.