September 11, 1999 (A.S. XXXIV)
Niccolo Gianfigliazzi Genovese, m/k/a Bruce Padget (BAPadget@cs.com)
This handout can be found online at
http://ourworld.cs.com/BAPadget
This handout may be copied freely.
Quadran Pavane
Inns of Court Manuscripts
Longways for as many couples as will
Dance repeats as much as desired
Single Left sideways, Single Right sideways
Double Left forward
Single Left sideways, Single Right sideways
Double Right back
Single bransle (tangle)
Orchesographie
Line abreast for as many dancers as will
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. Bransle double left (step sideways left, bring the right
foot to the left foot, step sideways left, bring the right foot
to the left foot)
2. Bransle single right (step sideways right, bring the left
foot to the right foot) The line will progress to the left. The
leader of the line may choose to weave the line through itself.
Note: The use of a single bransle to lead a line about is well documented. The "tangle" portion is not documented. However, we do know that young wags did a lot of things with dances that grumpy old men like Arbeau frowned on, so going from a single bransle in a line to the tangle is not a great leap.
Gathering Peasecods
The English Dancing Master
Circle of as many couples as will (note that more than five
couples will lead to a very chaotic dance)
First Verse:
Eight steps left, turn single, eight steps right, turn single
First Chorus:
1. Men put their right fists into the center and go round
clockwise, then turn single to return to their places
2. Ladies join hands in the center, and go round clockwise,
then turn single to return to their places
3. Men double to the center and clap
4. As the men double back out, ladies double to the center and
clap
5. As the ladies double back out, men double to the center and
reverence, then turn single to return to their places
6. Ladies double to the center and clap
7. As the ladies double back out, men double to the center and
clap
8. As the men double back out, ladies double to the center and
reverence, then turn single to return to their places
Second Verse:
Side right with partner, turn single, side left
with partner, turn single
Second chorus:
(same as first chorus, except everywhere the men went first,
the ladies will go first)
Third Verse:
Arm right with partner, turn single, arm left
with partner, turn single
Third chorus:
(same as first chorus)
Hoffin’s Kinsmen
Icelandic
Two facing lines abreast -- one of men, one of women, as many as
will
This is a kissing tag/partner selection dance game. This specific one cannot be proven conclusively to have existed more than 300 years ago. However, elements of the dance can be conclusively documented to the mid 14th century. Dances of this type (also called “Beggar Dances”) were outlawed in 1580 by the Electorate of Saxony.
For more information on this dance and Norse dance in general, see “Vikings Do Too Dance! Norse Dancing Prior to 1650,” by Baroness Tsivia bas Tamara v’Amberview, OL (Ealdormere), at pp. 42-52, Proceedings of the Known World Dance Symposium, 1999.
The steps are very simple -- step to the left side, close, step left, lift the right foot; step right, close, step right, lift left. If you say it “Left, close, left, lift, right, close, right, lift,” you’ll have the timing right. The steps are mainly there to mark the time of a poem, in which the men say a verse, and the women respond. Thus:
Men:
Here comes Hoffin.
Here comes Alsvinn.
Here come all of Hoffin’s kinsmen.
Women:
Who’s son is Hoffin?
Who’s son is Alsvinn?
Who’s sons are all of Hoffin’s Kinsmen?
Men:
A yeoman’s son is Hoffin.
A yeoman’s son is Alsvinn.
Yeomen’s sons are all of Hoffin’s kinsmen.
Women:
Ride away, Hoffin!
Ride away, Alsvinn!
Ride away, all of Hoffin’s kinsmen!
Men:
A lord’s son is Hoffin.
A lord’s son is Alsvinn.
Lords’ sons are all of Hoffin’s kinsmen.
Women:
Ride away, Hoffin!
Ride away, Alsvinn!
Ride away, all of Hoffin’s kinsmen!
Men:
A kings’s son is Hoffin.
A king’s son is Alsvinn.
Kings’ sons are all of Hoffin’s kinsmen.
Women:
Take us now, Hoffin!
Take us now, Alsvinn!
Take us now, all of Hoffin’s kinsmen!
(After the final verse, a general but GENTLE melee ensues, wherein the men chase the women, each man attempting to catch and kiss a woman.)
Petite Riens
15th Century Italian
Line abreast of three dancers
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. 16 pive (pivas) moving in a line abreast, starting with the left (For purposes of this dance, a piva need be nothing more that a gentle skipping step, alternating the lead foot.)
2. Dancer 1 (the one on the left) leaves the other two
behind, doing 4 pive, starting on the left foot.
3. Dancer 2 (in
the middle) does 4 pive to catch up to 1.
4. Dancer 3 does 4 pive
to catch up to 1 and 2. At this point, the original set is back
together.
5. 1 does a double left, leaving 2 and 3 behind
6. 2
does a double left, catching up to 1
7. 3 does a double left,
catching up to 1 and 2
8. 1 and 2 reverenza left
9. 2 and 3
reverenza left (after the first two reverenzas, the dancers
should be in a semicircle)
10. all reverenza right
11. all double
back left, spreading the set
12. all double forward right
13.
step left, close; step right, close
14. all turn left in 4 beats
Jenny Pluck Pears
The English Dancing Master
Circle of three couples, numbered
First verse:
Eight steps left, set and
turn, eight steps right, set and turn
First chorus:
Man one
guides lady one to the center, her back to the center of the
circle, then man two the same with his partner, then man three
does the same with his. (Remember to wait your turn!)
All
reverence.
Men go eight steps left around the ladies, then set
and turn.
Men go eight steps right around the ladies, then set
and turn.
Lady three is led back to place, then lady two, then
lady one. (Wait your turn!) All reverence.
Second verse:
Side
right, set and turn, side left, set and turn
Second chorus:
(same
as first chorus, except men’s and ladies’ roles are
changed, with the men in the center, and the ladies going around)
Third verse:
Arm right, set and turn, arm left, set and turn
Third chorus:
(same as first chorus)
Bransle Charlotte
Orchesographie
Circle of as many dancers as will
Dance repeats as
much as desired
1. Bransle double left, kick left, kick right,
bransle double right
2. Bransle double left, kick left, kick
right, bransle double right
3. double left, kick left, kick right
4. single right, kick left, kick right, kick left
5. single left,
kick right, kick left, kick right
6. double right
Upon a Summer’s Day
The English Dancing Master
Longways for three
couples
First verse:
Lead forward a double, fall back a double,
set and turn, Lead forward a double, fall back a double, set and
turn.
Chorus:
(Men join hands and ladies join hands, to make two
facing lines of three. The music allows no time for this, so do
it as you finish each verse.)
1. The facing lines go forward a
double, then back a double
2. Men 2 and 3 and ladies 2 and 3
raise their joined hands
3. Couple 1 go between couple 2, and
under the raised hands, man 1 going under the men’s hands,
and lady 1 under the ladies’. Couple 1 joins on at the foot
of the set, becoming the new couple 3.
4. Repeat 1-3, but with
the new couple 1 coming down.
5. Repeat 1-3, with the new couple
1 coming down. At this point, all should be back to their
original places.
Second verse:
Side right with partner, set and
turn, side left with partner, set and turn
Chorus
Third verse:
Arm right with partner, set and turn, arm left with partner, set
and turn
Chorus
Tinternell
Inns of Court Manuscripts
Longways for as many couples as will
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. Double left forward, double right back (on even repeats of the
dance, repeat 3 times)
2. take right hands with partner, trade
places single left, single right, double left
3. take left hands
with partner, trade places single right, single left, double
right
Pease Bransle
Orchesographie
Circle of as many
couples as will
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. Bransle
double left, bransle double right, bransle double left, bransle double right
2. men hop, then ladies hop
3. men single left, and hop thrice
4. ladies hop, then men hop
5. ladies single left, and hop thrice
Black Alman
Inns of Court Manuscripts
Longways for as many couples as will
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. double left, double
right, double left, double right, all forward - face partner
2. double left backward (away from partner), double right forward
(to partner), face left (men up, ladies down)
3. double left
forward as you face (men up, ladies down), face right 180 degrees
(men down, ladies up)
4. double right forward as you face (men
down, ladies up), face partner
5. men set and turn left, then
ladies set and turn left (on even repeats, ladies go first)
6. take both hands, and trade places double left, circling clockwise
7. go up (man’s right) with four slipping steps sideways
8. trade places back double left, circling clockwise
9. go down
(man’s right) with four slipping steps sideways
10. drop hands, double left backward (away from partner), double right
forward (to partner), face up.
Note: Arbeau wrote of Almans that some gentleman will “steal” another gentleman’s damsel, but he did hold with this, as it may lead to “quarrels and heart burning.” I would take this as documentation for kidnapping (a/k/a “sharking”) in Almans. Common courtesy applies. If you want to be black in my sight, cut into a dance you don’t know thoroughly, or cut out a beginner.
Hearts’ Ease
The English Dancing
Master
Two couples facing
First verse:
Double forward, double
back, double forward, double back
Chorus:
1. Facing partner,
double back from partner
2. Double toward partner, turn to
contrary, and arm right with contrary
3. Facing contrary, double
back from contrary
4. Double toward contrary, turn to partner,
and arm left with partner
Second verse:
Side right with partner,
side left with contrary
Chorus
Third verse:
Arm right with
partner, arm left with contrary
Chorus
New Alman
Inns of Court
Manuscripts
Longways for as many couples as will
Dance repeats as
much as desired
1. Double left, double right, double left, double
right, all forward hopped doubles - face partner
2. set and turn
right
3. set and turn right, finishing with a brief reverence
4.
men set left, then ladies set left
5. trade places double right,
passing right shoulders
6. ladies set right, then men set right
7. trade places double right, passing right shoulders
Bransle Official
Orchesographie
Circle of as many couples as
will, but fewer than five couples requires some care to avoid
mid-air collisions
Dance repeats as much as desired
1. Bransle
double left, bransle double right, bransle double left, bransle
double right
2. Bransle single left six times
3. Each lady leaps
(with gentle help from the men) in front of the man to her left,
so each lady changes one place left
4. Repeat 2-3
Note: A lady may choose not to leap, but simply to turn in front of the man to her left to change places. Advise gentlemen of this choice, and they will respect it.
Madam Sosilia Alman
Inns of Court
Manuscripts
Longways for as many couples as will
Dance repeats as
much as desired
1. Single left, single right, double left all
forward, single right backward (2 times) - face partner
2. set
left, set right
3. reverence left
4. trade places passing right
shoulders - single left, single right, double left
5. reverence
right
6. single right to partner, embrace for one count
7. repeat
2-7, face up
Na Onoire Na Busan (For Honor, for Virtue)
Carola - SCA Invention
Song by Lord K. Braden von Sobernheim
Circle of as many dancers as will
The nature of carolas is that they do not have set choreography. The idea is a simple circle dance - simple enough that the dancers can sing along as they dance, the song being more important than the dance. Hence, I do not set forth my choreography for Na Onoire Na Busan. (Hell, I could change it next week, anyway.) If you like the one I do, swipe it. If you don’t, make up your own. That’s how they work.
For more information on this type of dance, see “What Do We Know About Medieval Dance?” by Urraca Yriarte de Gamboa, OL, at pp. 55-57, Proceedings of the Known World Dance Symposium, 1999.
Lord Braden’s lyrics:
There's a
land stretching northward to glacier made borders
Within lies a
people so fierce and so bold
Their war songs and laughter will
leap from the rafters
As singers will tell tales of the black and
the gold.
Na Onoire na busan! For the land of the Gryphon
Na
Onoire na busan! We fight hand to hand
Na Onoire na busan! Rite
steeped in tradition
Na Onoire na busan! Artemisia our land.
Sent
on a great mission from the sun flies our gryphon
With talons and
arrows to fight all our foes
The lands his flight covers holds
mountains and rivers
With the harshness of winter yet beauty of
rose.
Here lead with great wisdom the Gryphon Thrones see them
The people are the greatest of the treasures we hold
So sit by
the fire where voices won't tire
Where vigor and warm cheer will
keep out the cold.
Na Onoire na busan! For the land of the
Gryphon
Na Onoire na busan! We fight hand to hand
Na Onoire na
busan! Rite steeped in tradition
Na Onoire na busan! Artemisia
our land.
With horses in stables and our minds we are able
To
prosper on these fields with the mountains above
'Cross plains we
are bounding with trumpets asounding
To sing not of war times but
of kindness and love.
For these times and all times, spoken in
their rhyme
The people will sing out for the love of our home
So
lift up your voices with words glad and joyous
And carry on your
pride wherever you roam.
Na Onoire na busan! For the land of the
Gryphon
Na Onoire na busan! We stand hand in hand
Na Onoire na
busan! Rite steeped in tradition
Na Onoire na busan! Artemisia
our land.