Which term is a French-origin dance in duple meter (alla breve) that often begins on an upbeat?

• A. Minuet
• B. Gavotte
• C. Polonaise
• D. Bourrée

Answer: (B)

A gavotte is a French-origin dance that uses a lively duple pulse, and it’s often associated with starting on an upbeat. In bars like Baroque suites, the gavotte commonly appears in alla breve (a cut-time feel), which reinforces that quick, forward-driving duple meter. The characteristic opening pickup note (anacrusis) into the main phrase is a telltale feature of the gavotte, so the upbeat start really helps identify it. Minuet is in triple time, so it doesn’t fit the duple, breezy feel. Polonaise comes from Poland and is typically in triple or compound time. Bourrée is French and in duple meter too, but the standout trait described—beginning on an upbeat—is most closely associated with the gavotte.