LOUIS LALLOUR first sang in public in 1941 during the potato harvest in Plourac'h. Since then he has sung at countless fest noz, fest deiz and other gatherings, and continues to keep alive the ancient Breton singing tradition.
Gavotte
The Gavotte is the most popular Breton dance, and the one you will encounter most often.
The basic rhythm is 1-2-3-4 5-6-7-8. However, an almost infinite amount of ornamentation is allowed within this framework. There may be as many different styles of dancing the gavotte as there are villages in Brittany, although the ‘Gavotte Montagne’ (Carhaix/Huelgoat area – the Breton ‘mountains’) has become the most common.
Kost ar C’hoat
Kost ar C’hoat means ‘corner of the forest’, and refers to the ‘pays Kost ar C’hoat’ (Lac de Guérledan and the forest of Quénécan.) Like the Gavotte, the steps are 1-2-3-4 5-6-7-8 but the feet are crossed in front and behind in a rather complex manner.
Fisel
The Fisel is a type of Gavotte, danced particularly in the Rostrenen/Callac /Carhaix area. It is extremely energetic, and became a sort of competition dance, where the person who could dance the longest, whilst keeping to the steps and the rhythm of the music, was the winner. This sort of competition was particularly popular with the men, who would vie with each other for the title of champion.
HENRI MORVAN, one of the three Morvan Brothers who have been singing for over 50 years.
Gavotte Pourlette
The Gavotte Pourlette is a speciality of the Pontivy/Guemene area (pays Pourlette) and is often danced running, with a great deal of foot ornamentation. When danced for performances, the men leap high into the air, supported on the women’s shoulders.
Plinn
The Plinn is believed to have originated as a way to beat earth floors and to prepare threshing grounds in preparation for the annual ‘battage’. The dancers link arms and wedge themselves together as tightly as possible; the dance involves making a little jump to the left, then a little jump back to the right. If you know how, then you can dance the Plinn for hours with very little fatigue, as the only movement involved is a slight bending of the knees – and everyone holds each other up. Because this dance requires a lot of endurance, the Plinn developed into a sort of sport, where the couple who could dance for the longest were judged the winners.
Other popular dances include the Suite de Loudéac, An Dro, Rond St-Vincent, Ridée (all danced in a circle, linking little fingers), and also a variety of dances from other countries that have been more recently incorporated and adapted, such as the ‘Cercle Circassien’ and the ‘Scottisch’ (from Scotland), the mazurka and waltz, and also the Bourrée, from the Auvergne region of France.
Illustations by Samuel Lewis
