Saraband

saraband (sâr`əbănd), dance of Asian origin that first appeared in Spain in the 16th cent. At that time it was characterized by alternate 3–4 and 3–8 meter and was accompanied by castanets and tambourines. Cervantes denounced it for its indecent gestures, and it was suppressed at the end of the reign of Philip II. In the 17th and 18th cent. it had a slow triple meter and a more dignified form. It then began to appear as a movement in the instrumental suite.

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sarabande, saraband

1. a decorous 17th-century courtly dance

2. Music a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance, in slow triple time, often incorporated into the classical suite

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Saraband 

an old Spanish folk dance, performed in 3/4 or 3/2 time. The first mention of the dance in a literary source dates from 1583. Initially the saraband was danced vigorously. However, in 17th-century France it was danced like the minuet, by pairs and in a stately manner. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a court dance; it was also included in ballet scores, for example, Lully’s Le Triomphe de l’amour. As a musical form, the saraband was a standard part of 18th-century instrumental suites.