CAPRIOL: I much enjoyed fencing and tennis, and this placed me upon friendly terms with young men. But, without knowledge of dancing, I could not please the damsels, upon whom, it seems to me, the entire reputation of an eligible young man depends.
ARBEAU: You are quite right, as naturally the male and female seek one another and nothing does more to stimulate a man to acts of courtesy, honor, and generosity than love. And if you desire to marry you must realize that a mistress in won by the good temper and grace displayed while dancing, because ladies to do not like to be present at fencing or tennis, lest a splintered sword or a blow from a tennis ball cause them injury. And there is more to it than this, for dancing is practiced to reveal whether lovers are in good health and sound of limb, after which they are permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch and savor one another thus to ascertain if they are shapley or emit an unpleasant odor as of bad meat. Therefore, from this standpoint, quite apart from the many other advantages to be derived from dancing, it becomes an essential to a well-ordered society. -excerpt from "Orchesography"

Negri's dance treatise describes Italian court dances from early dances until 1800. His treatise was originally published as "Le gratie d'amore" in 1602, and then published again in 1604 as "Nuove inventioni di balli." It includes 43 choreographies, lute tablatures, and engravings by Leone Pallavicini. Also included in his treatise is a list of 36 famous dancers of his century. The biographical details of the dancers provide us with a glimpse of what life was like for a dancing master in the Renaissance. Many of the musical tunes in Negri's treatise were composed to fit the dance, a "pasticcio" technique of composition. (Sadie) Negri discussed many of the same dances and steps that Arbeau and Caroso wrote about, which shows that the basic court dances were similar throughout Europe.

image of Fabritio Caroso

Fabritio Caroso wrote two treatises on dance of the 16th century. "Il Ballarino" was published in 1581, and "Nobilita de Dame" was published in 1600. Caroso's first treatise includes sonnets and madrigals along with all the dances. Many of these sonnets were written by Caroso himself.
Dolmetsch writes this of Caroso in "Dances of Spain and Italy":
"Caroso appears to have been a fine musician as well as a poet and dancer. It has been remarked by certain writers that, in some cases, Caroso has written his tunes in one key and the lute accompaniments in another. But this is not so. In those times, lutes of different registers were in use, so that, although the tenor was the most favoured for solo playing, any other of these four might have been intended, of which circumstance the tablature give no indication." Caroso's works include over 100 dances and choreographies.
"Nobilita dei Dame" is divided into two books, one on rules for steps, style, and etiquette, and the other on choreographie and music. The music in "Nobilita dei Dame" is mainly for practical use. We have no clue as to who composed the pieces or even when they were composed. Many of the phrases are found in several separate dances. The style of music is generally simple, homophonic, and formulaic. Check out the music of Il Ballarino!
In "Nobilita dei Dame" Caroso includes a letter to the reader praising the virtues of dance. He writes, "it [dancing] is so essential to one of good breeding, that when it is lacking it is considered a fault worthy of reproof. As a result of dance many other praiseworthy and honorable qualities may be acquired."