NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/org/sca/15837

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-15 | 2.6 KB

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From: [e-mail] (D Elson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: out-of-period dancing)
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 09:32:29 GMT
Organization:
Lines: 43


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

  > On the question for dances "longwayes for as many as will",

OK, are we talking about dancers facing their partners, or dancers
in a long line, men to the left of their partners, all facing forwards,
because ...

  > However, it is important to note that in none of our period sources from
  > the 16th century, including Caroso, Negri and Arbeau.  Arbeau, in fact,
  > never explicitly mentions that a basse dance or pavan should be danced by
  > a long line of couples.  I might be more willing to accept such a longways
  > dance if there were any precedents at all in the period repertoire.

... in the Basse danza "Corona", by Domenico (1450), the dance is
"for couples in a column".  Note, however, that this is fairly rare, even
for Domenico's basse danze.  For example, "Damnes" is for two men and
one lady (only), as well as Belreguardo Novo, and one or two other dances.
The only other basse danze that I know of that was probably danced for
a long line of couples (also from Domenico) is "La Spagna", and I am
working on someone else's reconstruction of that, not mine.

Also note that the ballo "Pizochara" (Domenico again) is for four couples,
men on the left, ladies on the right (as usual), all facing front, and
contains a piva sequence that can best be described as a "hey", and another
piva sequence that looks suspiciously like it was pinched by any number
of country dances (a "peel out" sequence where the men lead off to their
left, and the ladies to their right, and they join together to regain their
places).

Generally, it is possible to find a lot of sequences that ended up in
English Country Dancing in some of the 15th C Italian stuff (Domenico,
Gugliemo, Cornazano, Ambrosio), but it had disappeared by the time
of Negri and Caroso.  The early manuscripts are worth a look for anyone
familiar with ECD and wanting to learn something more period.  The
dances are certainly much easier to learn than Caroso and Negri.

Del
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D Elson                            |  [e-mail] [e-mail]
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