The
Jig is a form of lively
folk dance in
compound meter, as well as the accompanying dance
tune. It developed in 16th-century England, and was quickly adopted on the Continent where it eventually became the final movement of the mature
Baroque dance suite (the French
gigue; Italian and Spanish
giga). Today it is most associated with
Irish dance music,
Scottish country dance and the
Métis people in Canada. Jigs were originally in
duple compound meter, (e.g., 12/8 time), but have been adapted to a variety of
time signatures, by which they are often classified into groups, including light jigs, slip jigs, single jigs, double jigs, and treble jigs.