Gryphon's Fury V, September 11, 1999 / Artemisian Collegium, November 13, 1999
Instructor: Niccolo Gianfigliazzi Genovese, mka Bruce Padget (BAPadget@cs.com)
These instructions are copied from Renaissance Dance Cheat Sheets, available online at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/sca_dance_steps.html. They may be freely copied.
Those serious about learning Italian dance would do well to check out Stephens, Vivian and Cellio, Monica. Joy and Jealousy. Self-published, 1997. Covers 15th century Italian balli. Includes a tape of synthesized music. Available from: Monica Cellio, 7634 Westmoreland Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15218. The references to Joy and Jealousy herein refer to this work.
This handout can be found online at http://ourworld.cs.com/BAPadget.
15th Century Italian Steps
The steps used in 15th century Italian dances are considerably
more complicated than the steps used in most dances in these
cheat sheets. The following material follows Joy and Jealousy
in content, but is highly condensed and probably has errors; I
highly recommend that you look at Joy and Jealousy if
you are serious about 15th century dance.
A Movimento (plural movimentii) is simply a small motion, perhaps rising on the toes.
A Mezavolta is a half turn, and usually happens at the end of another step, taking no time. For example, a doppio ending with a mezavolta takes the same amount of time as a doppio, but the dancer ends up turning 180 degrees.
A Doppio (plural doppii) in quadernaria (4/4 time) is: step, step, step, pause. The appropriate styling is to rise throughout the step, and fall back on your heels during the final pause. A doppio done in bassadanza (6/4 time) is syncopated: 1 pause 3 4 pause drop.
A Piva (plural pive) in quadernaria (4/4) is: step, step, step, pause. Unlike the similar doppio, the second step brings the moving foot behind or even with the front foot, not past it. When done in 6 it is syncopated. Note that in some instances (Gelosia, Anello), pive in quadernaria are done twice normal speed, while in other cases (Amoroso) they are done only as fast as a doppio.
A Saltarello (plural saltarelli) is: step, step, step, hop. It also has the same styling as the doppio.
A Sempio (plural sempii) in quadernaria (4/4) is: step pause. It takes half as much time as a doppio, and has similar styling. The ``step'' mentioned in several of these dances is similar; Rosina has yet to successfully explain to me what the difference is. A sempio in bassadanza time (6/4) takes 3 beats: step pause drop.
A Reverenza is significantly different from later eras. Slide your left foot back and kneel part-way, bending both knees. This step generally takes as much time as a doppio.
A Ripresa is a piva done sideways.
A Voltatonda is a 360 degree turn using a doppio step. A Volta del Gioioso uses 2 sempii to turn, and then adds a ripresa. When turning left, you should do a circle around a point to your left.
A Contrapasso (plural contrapassii) in quadernaria (4/4) takes half the time of a doppio, and is step, step, step, close, except the final step brings the moving foot behind the other foot. Contrapassii generally come in groups, and will all start on the same foot.
Petit Riense
Source: 15th century Italian; Joy and Jealousy
Setting: 3 people in a line
Version: 1.0
A: (8 bars in piva (6/8), repeated twice.)
1-8 (twice) 16 Pive, starting on left.
B: (4 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
9-12 Man 1 4 Pive (starting left) to leave the group,
9-12 Woman 4 Pive to catch up with Man 1,
9-12 Man 2 4 Pive to catch up.
C: (2 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
13-14 Man 1 Doppio (starting left) to leave the group,
13-14 Woman doppio to catch up with Man 1,
13-14 Man 2 doppio to catch up.
D: (2 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
15-16 Man 1 and Woman take hands and reverenza right,
15-16 Woman and Man 2 take hands and reverenza right,
15-16 All 3 reverenza left.
E: (8 bars in piva (6/8).)
17-18 Doppio left backwards, moving away from each other,
19-20 doppio right forwards, moving towards each other,
21-22 Ripresa left and right
23-24 Voltatonda (on left, turning left).
Repeat dance.
Disclaimer: a cheat sheet does not do justice to explaining how to properly do a 15th century Italian dance.
Discussion:
This dance is quite easy to teach. It consists of an opening
section, 3 solo sections, and a final part. It can be
entertaining to do it on a densely-packed dance floor.
Ballo del Fiori
Source: Caroso's Il Ballarino (1580), LoD v1 [Letter of
Dance, volume 1, available online at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/lod/vol1/fiore.html]
Setting: dancers in a room
Version: 1.0
This is a sketchier-than usual description of the dance. This dance is discussed in Ingrid Brainard's book, and there is a reconstruction in the Letter of Dance volume 1 (written by Mark Waks), which is based on Ingrid Brainard's book.
This dance is clearly related to the Candlestick Bransle of Arbeau; the music is similar, and the dance follows a similar structure: boy meets girl, boy dances with girl, girl leaves to meet another boy, and so on.
The dance begins with one man holding a flower dancing, and a woman elsewhere in the room. There is an introduction of a long reverenza and 2 doubles turning in place.
The remainder of the dance consists of phrases containing 4 doubles, continenze right and left, and a long reverenza.
The man takes 1 phrase to approach a woman, and they join hands and do the continenze and reverenza together.
The couple dances together for one phrase, substituting 2 fast steps for the 3rd and 4th double.
The couple temporarily parts company in the next phrase, using two doubles to turn over their own left shoulders, and move away from each other for two doubles. They then face each other for the continenze and reverenza.
In the next phrase, the couple is reunited, using 4 doubles to zig-zag towards each other, joining hands for the continenze and reverenza. During this reverenza, the man passes the flower to the woman.
In the next phrase, the woman dances off alone to find a new partner. The dance repeats, except that the introduction is not repeated.
Since this is the only 16th century Italian dance in this collection, I will give a short summary of the steps here. As mentioned earlier, the reconstruction in the Letter of Dance (written by Mark Waks) is based on the work of Ingrid Brainard, and this cheat-sheet is based on that article. Misinterpretations are all mine.
The most important thing to remember for proper 16th Century style is to think big and move small.
Reverenza:
These reverenze take 8 beats each -- twice as long as a double,
and twice as long as the typical dancer thinks they should take.
In the first two beats, you draw yourself up and move your right
foot forward slightly. In the second two beats you move your
right foot back so that your toe is level with you left heel. In
the next two beats you bend both your knees, and in the last 2
beats, you straighten your legs. The chant is: forward, pause,
back, pause, down, pause, up, up.
Double (seguito ordinario):
These doubles are ``open'' steps, i.e. you do not end with your
feet together. Take 3 steps, rising on your toes as you take
them, and on the fourth beat, stop your forward motion and sink
back to the floor. The chant is: up, two, three, downhold.
Continenza:
This step is a 4-beat step to the side, and they come in pairs in
this dance. Take a small step right on beat 1. Bring your feet
together on beat 2, bending your knees. Straighten up on beats 3
and 4. The chant is: right, down, up, up.
Fast step (seguito scorso):
This step is very similar to the double, except you step twice as
fast and there is no pause at the end. Thus, there are 8 steps,
and you will begin the next step on the same foot.
Amoroso
Source: 15th century Italian; Joy and Jealousy
Setting: one couple
Version: 1.0
A: (4 bars of quadernaria (4/4) repeated 3 times)
1-4 (3 times) 12 Pive (starting left)
B: (3.5 bars of quadernaria (4/4) repeated twice)
5-7.5 Man leaves woman with 2 steps (starting left), 1 piva, 3 steps (ending on a half-bar).
5-7.5 Woman same to catch up.
C: (3.5 bars of quadernaria (4/4) repeated twice)
9-11.5 Man leaves woman with 3 pive (starting left), step (ending on a half-bar).
9-11.5 Woman same to catch up.
D: (8.5 bars of quadernaria (4/4) repeated twice)
13-15 Man leaves woman with 2 steps (starting left), piva, 2 steps,
16 Man finishes with step right, and mezavolta to face woman (note that the mezavolta takes time, and that the dance phrasing does not match the music at this point in the dance),
17 Both reverenza left,
18-20.5 Man returns with 3 pive (starting left), step (ending on a half-bar).
13-21 Repeat D with woman leaving.
The entire dance then repeats, with the woman doing everything first.
Discussion:
Although listed as difficulty=1 in Joy and Jealousy, this dance
is difficult for me because of the half bars, and the fact that
the musical phrases do not match the dance phrases in section D.
Disclaimer: a cheat sheet does not do justice to explaining how to properly do a 15th century Italian dance.
Rostiboli Gioioso
Source: 15th century Italian; Joy and Jealousy
Setting: one couple
Version: 1.0
A: (10 bars in bassadanza (6/4), played twice.)
1-2 Ripresa left, ripresa right, (drop hands),
3-5 Man leaves with 2 sempii (starting left), 2 doppii, ending with mezavolta right to face woman,
6-7 Both ripresa left, ripresa right.
8-10 Man returns with the same steps, (take hands).
1-10 Repeat, with woman leaving.
B: (8 bars in bassadanza (6/4), played twice.)
11-12 Ripresa left, ripresa right, (drop hands),
13-16 Both do 2 sempii (starting on left), 3 doppii, (drop hands),
17-18 Volta del Gioioso (2 sempii to turn 360 degrees to left, ripresa right).
11-18 Repeat.
C: (8 bars in saltarello (6/8), played twice.)
19-26 (twice) 16 Saltarelli (starting left), (drop hands).
D: (8 bars in piva (6/8), played twice.)
27 Man movimento,
28 woman movimento,
29-30 man doppio left to leave,
31 woman movimento,
32 man movimento,
33-34 woman doppio left to join man.
27-34 Repeat on other foot, man still going first.
Repeat dance, with the woman doing everything first.
Disclaimer: a cheat sheet does not do justice to explaining how to properly do a 15th century Italian dance.
Gelosia
Source: 15th century Italian; Joy and Jealousy
Setting: a three couple set
Version: 1.0
A: (2 bars in quadernaria (4/4), played twice, plus 2 more bars)
1-2 (three times), 3-4 8 Saltarelli, starting left.
B: (3 bars in quadernaria (4/4), played twice.)
5-6 Man 1 does 3 contrapassii (all left) around W1 to reverence left to W2,
7 Man 2 Saltarello right to M1's place.
5-6 Man 1 does 3 contrapassii (all left) around W2 to reverence left to W3.
7 Man 3 Saltarello right to M2's place.
C: (1 bar in quadernaria (4/4).)
8 Man 1 Saltarello right behind W1 to M3's place.
D: (2 bars in quadernaria (4/4), played twice.)
9-10 (twice) (take hands) 8 Pive (starting left) (note double speed).
E: (1 bar in quadernaria (4/4), played 3 times.)
11 (drop hands) Couple 1 piva left to mezavolta (turn 180 degrees to left),
11 Couple 2 the same,
11 Couple 3 the same, while all men mezavolta left to face up. (The women are now facing down, the men up.)
F: (3 bars in piva (2/4), played twice.)
12-14 (hold right hands) 3 sempii (starting left) to trade places,
12-14 (hold left hands) 3 sempii (starting right) to return to place. Men end with mezavolta to face forward.
Repeat dance twice more, until each man returns to his starting place.
Discussion:
Note that this version of Gelosia is by Domenico. Another Gelosia
commonly danced in the SCA is the variant by Guglielmo Ebreo. It
has a different number of starting saltarelli (12?), and part F
is repeated a 3rd time, giving the men additional time to turn
around.
Disclaimer: a cheat sheet does not do justice to explaining how to properly do a 15th century Italian dance.