In his poem „Orchestra or a Poeme of Dauncing“, the British lawyer and poet Sir John Davies (1569 – 1626) „judicially prooves the true observation of Time and Measure, in the authenticall and laudable use of Dauncing.“ By “dauncing” he not only refers to rhythmic movements of the body but to the movements of breath and sound in the air (in the excerpt I’ve chosen). Air is seen as a “tender nurse” that accompanies, carries, fosters and inspires the voice, as well as the wind:
“And now behold your tender Nurse the ayre
And common neighbour that ay runns around,
How many pictures and impressions faire
Within her empty regions are there found
Which to your sences Dauncing doe propound?
For what are breath, speech, Ecchos, musicke, winds,
But Dauncings of the ayre in sundry kinds?
For when you breath, the ayre in order moves,
Now in, now out, in time and measure trew;
And when you speake, so well she dauncing loves,
That doubling oft, and oft redoubling new,
With thousand formes she doth her selfe endew:
For all the words that from our lips repaire,
Are nought but tricks and turnings of the aire.
Hence is her pratling daughter Eccho borne,
That daunces to all voyces she can heare:
There is no sound so harsh that shee doth scorne,
Nor any time wherein shee will forbear
The aiery pavement with her feete to weare:
And yet her hearing sence is nothing quick,
For after time she endeth every trick.
And thou sweet Musicke, Dauncing’s onely life,
The eares sole happines, the ayres best speach,
Loadstone of fellowship, charming rod of strife,
The soft mind’s Paradice, the sicke minds Leach,
With thine own tongue, thou trees and stones canst teach,
That when the Aire doth daunce her finest measure,
Then art thou borne, the Gods and mens sweet pleasure.
Lastly, where keepe the winds their revelry
Their violent turnings and wild whirling hayes?
But in the Ayres tralucent gallery?
Where shee her selfe is turnd a hundreth wayes,
While with those Maskers wantonly she playes;
Yet in this misrule, they such rule embrace,
As two at once encomber not the place.”
Source: http://spenserians.cath.vt.edu/TextRecord.php?textsid=32843