Galliard

The galliard (/ˈɡæljərd/; French: gaillarde; Italian: gagliarda) was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century.

The galliard is not an improvised dance, but rather, it consists of choreographed patterns of steps, which occupy one or more measures of music.

The galliard is an athletic dance, characterised by leaps, jumps, hops and other similar figures.

The main feature that defines a galliard step is a large jump, after which the dancer lands with one leg ahead of the other.

Musical compositions in the galliard form appear to have been written and performed after the dance fell out of popular use.