Dancing in 1530

 

How to Dress for Dancing, 1530

You must always be garbed to perfection and your codpiece must be well tied. We sometimes see codpieces slip to the ground during the basse dance so you must tie them well.

 

*Fun fact about codpieces: they came into fashion when men’s dress changed and their ‘naughty bits’ were in danger of being viewed by all. Underwear hadn’t been invented yet. So codpieces were little (or bigger if you were a manly man) pouches designed to hide the goodies. If you were a little ‘short’ in that department, men would pad them to draw the attention of the ladies. Some were made from colorful fabrics and were heavily embroidered. Knights even had ones made of metal. They could also keep their change there, since they didn’t have pockets. If you’re really interested, there are many tutorials on the internet showing you how to make your own. The young gentleman in the picture has a subtle codpiece that matches his leggings so as not to call attention to it. Nice guy. Knows how to dance, too.  

 

 

How to Impress Girls at a Dance, 1530

Aside from making sure your codpiece doesn’t slip, here are some handy hints…

Furthermore never fart when you are dancing; grit your teeth and compel your arse to hold back the fart… Do not have a dripping nose and do not dribble at the mouth. No woman desires a man with rabies. And refrain from spitting before the maidens, because that makes one sick and even revolts the stomach. If you spit or blow your nose or sneeze, remember to turn your head away after the spasm; and remember not to wipe your nose with your fingers; do it properly with a white handkerchief. Do not eat either leeks or onions because they leave an unpleasant odour in the mouth.

 

*So to sum things up:

Keep that codpiece tied tight

Don’t fart, snot, drool or spit

Don’t eat smelly food

 

Now go out and have fun!