The Renaissance was a period that lasted from about the fourteenth century to the seventeenth century and was centralized around the rebirth of art and literature . This rebirth began in Italy and spread across Europe throughout the next three centuries. During this time, a multitude of artists, sculptors, composers and dances emerged. The Gigue is one of the dances that developed during the late Renaissance, and it continued to grow through the Baroque period in multiple regions of Europe, including the British Isles. Throughout the next few centuries, the jig was established in England, Scotland and Ireland, the Gigue was found in France and the Giga was danced in Italy. All of these terms can be traced to the French word “giguer” which means “to leap, gambol, or frolic .” …show more content…
Eventually, the jig became a necessity to English celebrations and daily occurrences. “Everything was finished by a Jig; plays were brought to a close with the form; the sailor's farewell to England was a Jig; and considering this, the wonder is how anyone could possibly think of the Jig as being anything but essentially English.” However, when a turnover happened in the royal family passing the crown to the House of Hanover, the jig and the demand for the jig began a decline . From its popularity in England, the jig spread to Scotland and then to Ireland. The Irish Jig that is known today is an evolution of the jig that reached Ireland in the late half of the seventeenth century