Woman from Arles Farandole Dancer - Farandole Arlesienne - Size #2 / Elite

Woman from Arles Farandole Dancer - Farandole (Arles)

With a purple, blue, or yellow dress.

It is said that the Farandole Dance was first created to honor the Christ Child, to lead the way to the manger - in their colorful Provençal traditional attire. Holding hands, their delightful, lively, country line-dance zigzags through the village streets with the villagers in tow. On reaching the manager, all knelt down to give their homage. They dance to the music of the traditional Provençal Tambourines (drums) and Galoubets (flutes). The best loved of all the Provençal folk dances it is enjoyed to this day at festivities and parades.

The young Woman from Arles is from well-to-do farming stock. Her hair is distinctive, as is the fashion of Arles, brushed back into a bun and covered with white muslin tied round with an embroidered ribbon held in place by gold pins. She holds a bunch of flowers which she will present to Jesus. Dressed in the traditional 19th century costume of the Arles region, she wears a white embroidered shawl and a dress with a full skirt. The richness of her costume is indicative of Arles, an ancient town of art and culture and an important center of Provençal traditions. 

She is said to represent Mireille, the heroine of Frederic Mistral's poem of the early 19th century, Mireille. 

Size #2 / Elite (the 2-3/4 inch - 7 cm size)

Made in France