The term “Renaissance” means rebirth and refers to a period of cultural revival and growth that began in the early 1400s in Florence and spread across Europe. The arts flourished during this time.

This collection of video segments produced by KET provides examples of Renaissance music, dance, and drama. The music segment includes an explanation of polyphony and a performance of a work by Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, whose work greatly influenced the music of the Roman Catholic Church in the Renaissance.

The celebrated Elizabethan period of theater began during the Renaissance. Two segments from Shakespeare's plays are included, the “To be or not to be” soliloquy from the tragedy Hamlet and a scene from the comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

Two examples of dances popular in the Elizabethan court are included, the Pavane (a processional) and the Maltese Bransle, a country dance. A third dance, Upon a Summer’s Day, was popular with British upper classes of the 16th and 17th centuries. The dances are performed by middle and high school students.