Galliard
Advanced; No Partners
The Galliard was a lively and vigorous dance that showed off skill and agility. Queen Elizabeth wrote that she did seven galliards every morning to maintain her physical and mental alertness (early aerobics!). The galliard is a 6 count combination of prances, stamps, crossing legs, capriols, and cadences. The galliard basic step is called cinq pas, or 5 steps, because even though there are 6 counts, you don't count the time you spend in the air! It was called sink-a-pace by the English (from the French cinq pas). Dancing masters made many variations on the galliard and taught them to their patrons and matrons. The best dancers made their own variations.
Arbeau writes that the galliard consists of 4 movements, followed by a cadence (jump and landing in posture). This takes 6 counts. The dancer can make variations that include more movements and delaying the cadence until the 11th count, making a 12 count variation. So also, the cadence can be delayed to make phrases of 18, 24, 30 or even 36 counts. Arbeau says: "I do not advise you to do so because the onlookers might find it wearisome waiting so long for the cadence and think you were out of your mind."
The Galliard could be performed with a partner or as a solo. Men, in particular, would leave their partners to do fancier variations. Arbeau says: "I advise you to be modest... And furthermore, to circle the room first with your damsel and when you are ready to take your conge, letting her dance off alone while you commence dancing your five steps higher in the air, continuing thus until you are in front of her. And then execute what passages you please in a lively fashion."
The basic:
Prance onto the left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, go in the air, land in a right cadence. Then immediately do the opposite side: prance onto the right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, go in the air, land in a left cadence.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Prance, prance, prance, prance, go in the air, land in a cadence.
A variation I call Toe Heel:
1 2 3 4 5 6
touch lt toe to floor, touch lt heel to floor, touch rt toe to floor, touch rt heel to floor, go in the air, land in a cadence.
The Greve Variation:
1 2 3 4 5
6
lift rt knee, place rt foot to rt cad, cut rt foot under to lift lt knee, lift rt knee, go in the air, land in a lt cad
See if you can reconstruct these variations: (look below for definitions and pictures)
ruade
kicking the leg back 
greve
lifting the knee forward, like a prance 
posture gauche/doigt
landing or standing with one leg in front of the other (4th position, in ballet terms). Posture left means the left leg is in front. 
pieds joint
feet together or joined. 
cadence
going in the air and landing in a posture right or posture left
saut majeur
literally 'big jump'. Go in the air. Add beats if you can!
entretaille
cutting one foot under the other (coupe in ballet)
