Beguine (dance)

Beguine (dance)

The beguine is a dance, similar to a slow rumba, that was very modestly popular in the 1930s, coming from the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, where the Martinique beguine is a slow close dance with a roll of hips. If Cole Porter hadn't written (Don't let them) "Begin the Beguine", the dance would scarcely be remembered beyond the Caribbean. The song was introduced in Porter's "Jubilee" (1935), with a book by Moss Hart and added dialogue by Monty Woolley. Artie Shaw and his Orchestra had a top (#3) hit with an extended swing orchestral version in 1938.

Then MGM brought out the musical film "Broadway Melody of 1940" in which Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell danced "Begin the Beguine".

Then all the big bands recorded it: Harry James, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and it became such a classic that the painter Max Beckmann adopted the title for a painting in 1946 (now at University of Michigan Museum of Art), which might be closer in spirit to Charlie Parker's version. Renditions by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald are standards against which new interpretations are often measured.

In 1998 the title was taken for a forgettable sentimental fantasy romance film directed by Raymond DeFelitta that starred Elijah Wood.

There are line dance choreographies for the beguine on the Internet.

See also

*Biguine

External links

* [http://www.duchessathome.com/music/beginthebeguine.html "Begin the Beguine"] lyrics
* [http://www.geocities.com/porterguide/jubilee.html Cole Porter, "Jubilee"]
* [http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/kuspit/beckmann6.asp Max Beckmann's "Begin the Beguine"] : illustration
* [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG03/Jukebox/popups/begin.html Jukebox:] Artie Shaw


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  • beguine — [bi gēn′] n. [AmFr béguine < Fr béguin, infatuation, fancy (< phr. avoir un béguin pour, to have a fancy for); earlier, a child s cap with strings, orig., a nun s cap < OFr Béguine: see BEGUINE] a rhythmic native dance of Martinique or… …   English World dictionary

  • Beguine — late 15c., from Fr. béguine (13c.), M.L. beguina, a member of a women s spiritual order said to have been founded c.1180 in Liege in the Low Countries. They are said to take their name from the surname of Lambert le Bègue Lambert the Stammerer, a …   Etymology dictionary

  • dance — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Motion to music Nouns 1. dance, dancing; ball, formal, tea dance, thé dansant, cotillion, promenade, dinner dance; masquerade, masked ball, bal masqué, fancy dress ball. Informal, drag, hop, prom, mixer …   English dictionary for students

  • beguine — /beuh geen /, n. 1. a dance in bolero rhythm that originated in Martinique. 2. a modern social dance based on the beguine. 3. music for either of these dances. [1930 35; < F (West Indies) béguine, fem. deriv. of béguin BIGGIN1, trifling love… …   Universalium

  • beguine — /bəˈgin/ (say buh geen) noun 1. a South American dance in bolero rhythm. 2. a modern social dance based on the beguine. 3. music for either of these dances. {Creole French: feminine form of béguin flirtation} …  

  • beguine — be•guine [[t]bəˈgin[/t]] n. mad a dance in bolero rhythm that originated in Martinique • Etymology: 1930–35; < F (West Indies) béguine, fem. der. of F béguin infatuation, lit., a kind of cap, orig. one worn by a Beguine …   From formal English to slang

  • dance music — noun 1. a genre of popular music composed for ballroom dancing • Syn: ↑danceroom music, ↑ballroom music • Hypernyms: ↑popular music, ↑popular music genre 2. music to dance to • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • beguine — I. noun Usage: often capitalized Etymology: Middle French Date: 15th century a member of one of various ascetic and philanthropic communities of women not under vows founded chiefly in the Netherlands in the 13th century II. noun Etymology:… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Dance Styles — I m not a particularly good dancer, being part of that generation for which dancing involves shuffling one s feet about randomly while gyrating in provocative ways. I do manage to keep my feet off my wife s, though (well, most of the time). This… …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • beguine — noun a) A ballroom dance, similar to a slow rumba, that originated in the French West Indies. b) The music for this dance …   Wiktionary

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