beguine
Martinique dance style
A beguine is a ballroom dance that originated in the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, characterized by a slow, swaying rhythm similar to the bolero.
The term also refers to the music accompanying this dance, which blends African and French influences.
Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" brought the word into mainstream American English.
Separately, a Beguine (capitalized) is a member of a lay religious sisterhood founded in the Low Countries in the 13th century.
French territory, eastern Caribbean
- GuadeloupeFrench overseas Caribbean territory
- AntillesCaribbean island arc
- CreoleFused language, stabilized
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
island · colonial · folk dance · drum · percussion · call and response · plantation · carnival
Venue for formal dances
- partnersJoint venture participants
- waltzDance in three-quarter time
- foxtrotSmooth partner dance
- glideMove with effortless continuity
swing · tempo · step · elegance · grace · footwork · choreography · sequence
Martinique
French territory, eastern Caribbean
- GuadeloupeFrench overseas Caribbean territory
- AntillesCaribbean island arc
- CreoleFused language, stabilized
tropical · island · colonial · folk dance · drum · percussion · call and response · plantation · carnival · quadrille
ballroom
Venue for formal dances
glide · swing · tempo · step · elegance · grace · footwork · choreography · sequence · movement
Cole Porter
American songwriter, Broadway musicals
standard · orchestra · crooner · arrangement · melody · clarinet · saxophone · piano · syncopation · ballad
nun
Hebrew alphabet's fourteenth
habit · vows · order · cloister · devotion · prayer · contemplative · community · Catholic · monastery
beguinequickstep
Fast-paced ballroom dance
jitterbug · jive · polka · galop · tarantella