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Dances in Quadernaria

Rosina del Bosco Chiaro

Pennsic XXVI, AS XXXII  (August 1997)

This class will teach two or three Italian dances done entirely or mostly in quadernaria, which corresponds to our 4/4 time signature.  They are from the mid-fifteenth to early-sixteenth century, and are some of the easier dances in this repertoire.   The sources from this period are not exact, and often vary considerably, which results in a large number of different reconstructions being done in different parts of the SCA.  This class will teach a simple version of the dances.

For any further information, please feel free to contact me at:

Vivian Stephens    (416) 537-8630
44 Dewson #3    email:  rosina@pathcom.com
Toronto, ON M6H 1G7
Canada

Bibliography

Smith, A. William. Fifteenth-Century Dance and Music. Stuvyesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1995

Isabel Smith & Masakata Kanazawa (ed).  The Musical Manuscript Montecassino 871.  Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1978.  Has information on Vita di Cholino.

Sparti, Barbara ed., De Pratica seu arte tripudii / On the Practice of the Art of Dancing, Guglielmo Ebreo of Pesaro. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Vivian Stephens & Monica Cellio.  Joy and Jealousy: A Manual of 15th-Century Italian Balli.  Pittsburgh: Real Soon Now Press, 1997.

Discography

Joy and Jealousy, (computer-generated music to accompany manual of same name). 1997.  Has Anello, Gelosia, and Vita di Cholino..

Light of the North, Lady Marian of Heatherdale.  Heather M. Dale, privately produced. Cassette.  Has Vita di Cholino (used for class.)

Mesura et Arte del Danzare.  Balli Italiani del Quattrocento.  Accademia Viscontea i Musicanti.  Ducale CDL 002.  Has Anello (used for class), Gelosia (used for class).

STEPS

The steps are described for the left foot; switch everything for the right.  Given below are the unornamented version of the steps, and only those versions of the steps that are needed for these dances.  The same step may be performed differently in a dance given in another class.

Single or Sempio  (Plural is sempii)
  1 = Step forward on left foot,  2 = pause.

Double or Doppio   (Plural is doppii)
  1 = Step left,  2 = step right,  3 = step left, 4 = pause.

Piva   (Plural is pive)  Done in these dances twice as fast as a doppio.
  1 = Step left, and = short step right, 2 = step left,  and = pause.

Saltarello (plural is saltarelli)
  1 = Step left,  2 = step right,  3 = step left, 4 = hop on left.

Ripresa  (Plural is riprese)
  1 = Step to left side,  2 = step right under left foot, 3 = step to left side, 4 = pause.

Voltatonda
  Turn in a circle using steps and direction given.

Movimento
  Rise on both feet, (not a jump), directing attention at partner.

Reverenza
  Kneel on  left knee, keeping upper body straight.  It isn't usually necessary to go all the way to the floor.

Vita di Cholino, by Giovannino, @ 1500.
Man 1 on left, Woman in middle, Man 2 on right, holding hands,facing up the hall.

Verse 1 Reverenza Left
 Sempio Left, Sempio Right:  Men backwards, Woman forward and she turns around at end.
 Ripresa Left, Ripresa Right.
 (Men are facing up the hall and Woman is facing down, in a triangle.)
Chorus Woman and the man to her right (Man 1 this time) Reverenza Left.
 Woman and the man to her left (Man 2 this time) Reverenza Right.
 Voltatonda (Doppio Right, clockwise).

Verse 2 Woman and Man 1 take right hands and circle each other with Doppio Left and Doppio Right.
 Woman and Man 2 do the same, with left hands.
Chorus  As before.

Verse 3 Doppio Left, Doppio Right, and turn to face.  (Triangle has inverted.)
 Ripresa Left, Ripresa Right.
Chorus   For this chorus, Man 2 will Reverenza first.

Verse 4 Doppio Left, Doppio Right, Doppio Left zigzagging, and turn to face. (Triangle has inverted.)
 Doppio Right, coming together.
Chorus For this chorus, touch hands while reverencing.

Verse 5 8 Pive, starting on the Left foot, doing a Hey, Woman and Man 1 start by passing right shoulders.
 (The dancers are in a small triangle, Men facing up the hall, Woman down.)
Chorus Woman and Man 1 Reverenza.
 Woman and Man 2 Reverenza.
 Woman Voltatonda (Doppio Right, clockwise),
 as      Men Doppio Right and turn to face same way as woman..
 (Dancers end side by side, facing down the hall, Man 2 on the left and Woman in the middle.)

Gelosia, by Domenico.  @ 1450
For three couples, one behind the other.

8 Saltarelli, starting Left
Man 1 does 3 Piva, going in front of Woman 1, to end to the right and ahead of Woman 2,
 and Reverenza Left (half-bar) to Woman 2, while touching her right hand.
Man 2 Saltarello Right to join Woman 1.
Man 1 does 3 Piva, going in front of Woman 2, circling counterclockwise most of the way
 around her, ending to the right of Woman 3, then half-bar Reverenza Left to Woman 3.
Man 3 Saltarello Right to join Woman 2.
Man 1 Saltarello Right, behind Woman 3, ending at her left.
8 Pive
Couple 1 Reverenza Left,  then Couple 2 the same, then Couple 3 the same.
Sempio Left, Sempio Right, Sempio Left, taking right hands and exchanging places with partner.
Sempio Right, Sempio Left, Sempio Right, taking left hands and going back to place, Men turning to face front.

Repeat dance twice more, until each man returns to his starting place.

Anello - by Domenico @ 1450.
Two couples, one behind the other.

8 Saltarelli, starting Left, on the last spread out, forming a square, Man 1 and Woman 1 switching places.
----
Men Movimento, then Women Movimento.
Men Saltarello Left, Saltarello Right passing right shoulders, turning at end to face each other.
Repeat, Women doing what men did.
-----
Men Movimento, then Women Movimento.  Men Voltatonda (4 Steps, counterclockwise).
Repeat, Women doing what men did.
-----
Men do 4 Pive (2 per bar), starting on the Left, each going behind his partner and into the other man's
 place, moving counterclockwise halfway around the outside of the diamond.
Women do the same, each also going behind her partner, so also moving counterclockwise.
---------
Men Movimento, then Women Movimento.  Men Movimento, then Women Movimento, again.
Men Ripresa Right.  Partners take hands.

Repeat dance, Couple 1 still leading, (Couple 2 wheels in behind them) but Women do everything first. 1