I have a 4th grade theory exam coming up and I need to find out which countries the allemande, courante, minuet, sarbande, gavotte and gigue come from if anyone knows it would be greatly appreciated.

Why not try consulting a good music dictionary? If you don't have one, perhaps your local library does.

I'm not trying to avoid the question or give you the run-around but relying on the "kindness of strangers" when you are seeking factual information of this type that you need for an exam may not be the best way to go about acquring it. Can you be sure - unless verifiable sources are quoted (which I could do for you) - that what we tell you is reliable fact? Anyway, you'd still have to check it out to make sure the information is correct.

Good luck on the examination.

Regards,

[ October 13, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

The easy answer is Germany, but the movements of a Baroque dance suite were used by composers of all nationalities and to varying degrees.

Buy the Harvard Brief Dictionairy of Music - under $10 and gives you adequate info until you can get you hands on something bigger

I dislike finding myself at odds with what another (esteemed and knowledgable) contributor to this post has said, but the "easy answer, ... Germany" is decidedly at odds with what Groves says (I can give the volume and page numbers if you like) about the country of origin of these dance forms.

allemande (meaning German dance); originated in Italy)
courante; origin obscure, probably France and Italy
minuet; France
sarabande; originated in both Latin America and Spain
gavotte; France
gigue; British Isles

Perhaps, MysticWolf, this decided difference bears out my first suggestion which is that research of this type should be from primary sources and not from the likes of us!