gigue

/zheeg/, n.

1. Dance. jig² (def. 1).

2. Music. a dance movement often forming the conclusion of the classical suite.

[1675-85; < F, prob. < E JIG²]

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Dance derived from the English jig that was popular as a lively court dance in 17th-century Europe.

Originally a solo dance, in its courtly form it was danced by couples in formal ballet style to music in 68 or 128 time. As a musical form, it became the last movement in the standard suite.

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▪ dance

French“jig”Italian  giga  

      popular Baroque dance that originated in the British Isles and became widespread in aristocratic circles of Europe; also a medieval name for a bowed string instrument, from which the modern German word Geige (“violin”) derives. Whereas true jigs were quick and wild solo dances of indefinite form, gigues were danced by couples in formal ballet style. The French gigue was a lively dance often in ⁶/₄ or ⁶/₈ time, while the Italian giga was faster and set in ¹²/₈ time. As a musical form the gigue was often used in the stylized dance suite as the last movement. Invariably written in fugal style, the gigues of suites retain the characteristic triple groups of eighth notes. Examples occur in the keyboard suites of J.S. Bach.

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