pavane

American  

[puh-vahn, -van, pa-van] / pəˈvɑn, -ˈvæn, paˈvan /

Also pavan

noun

plural

pavanes

1. a stately dance dating from the 16th century.

2. the music for this dance.

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pavane British  

/ -ˈvæn, ˈpævən, pəˈvɑːn /

noun

1. a slow and stately dance of the 16th and 17th centuries

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance, usually characterized by a slow stately triple time

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Etymology

Origin of pavane

1525–35; < Middle French < Italian pavana, contraction of padovana (feminine) of Padua ( Italian Padova )

Example Sentences

The Sinfonia Concertante this time turns first to a pavane, the Baroque-style dance treated to constant variation both in the orchestra and the organ.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2023

Still, there is that perfectly shaped pearl of a pavane that, throughout it all, stays in the memory.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2022

It shows how the perfect union, represented by the courtly pavane and other Renaissance dances, can be ruptured by rumor.

From Washington Post

The whole affair, in fact, had developed the aura of a surrealistic ritual, with both sides' forces stepping in circles as if they were performing some stately, stylized pavane.

From Time Magazine Archive

The musicians started to play, and the dancers paired for a stately pavane.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein