Last month, I was taken by inspiration and discovered that we of the Shire of Crosston could indeed have our usual beginning-of-the-year ball. You see, Lady Rebecca da Firenze had made some tunes from Mistress Elizabeth of Dendermonde available. As event steward, I strung them together and looped the bransles, calling most of the ball with Italian assistance by Lady Rebecca. The set list is to the right, with Roman-inspired capitals and humanist miniscule for most of the text. Click it to be directed to my Bransle Project, a collection of the Bransle tunes, listed in set order. Images are from the public domain.
Previous humanist miniscule work: an original ottavarima in praise of Lady Avelina del Dolce, who will be dancing a different Caroso dance, Fiamma d'Amore, with me at Yellow Veil Salon starting 9pm Saturday evening.
Available for limited time, recommend watching with captions.
As middle person.
As the lady.
Instructions
All line up
Verse 1:
We tread bellows to start
Then ends will riv(erenza) and back.
Ripresa left and then to the right
Chorus:
Now this one riv(erenza)s,
And that one riv(erenza)s,
We all turn round!
Verse 2:
Take right hands, circle round
Doppi gallipati
Take left hands, circle round
In more galloped doubles
Chorus:
Now this one riv(erenza)s
And that one riv(erenza)s
We all turn round!
Verse 3:
Now two doubles forward,
A mezzavolta next
Ripresa left and then to the right
Chorus:
Now this one rivs
And that one rivs
We all turn round!
Verse 4:
Then tacking zig-zags three,
Like sailing Portuguese.
Here comes the mezzavolta!
Straight double to meet.
Chorus, mod.:
Take right hands, riv(erenza)
Take left hands, riv(erenza)
We all turn round!
Verse 5:
A hey of dancers three, by use of eight pive.
Complete the hey and get back to your place.
Chorus Reprise:
Take right hands, riv(erenza)
Take left hands, riv(erenza)
Ends come line up.
Note: Ends advance, into mezzavolta.
Instructions
Verse 1: Circling
Spezzato to the left, Riverenza; same to the right.
Two Spezzati to cover 1/3 of a circle
Four Trabuchetti
Four more Spezzati to finish circling and come back to place.
Scambiata left, same to the right.
Chorus:
Step back with your left foot and hop (Puntato in balzetto)
That again, with the right foot going back
Spezzato-cadenza to turn over you left shoulder.
Verse 2, Lord's Solo:
Lady is playing with jewelry.
Solo sections are the same.
(Spezzati flankingly forward: left, right, left
Riverenza
Spezzati flankingly forward: right, left, right
Riverenza
Flankingly backward to the left: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Passo with left foot, Passo with right foot, Cadenza
Flankingly backward to the rightt: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Passo with right foot, Passo with left foot, Cadenza)
Chorus Repeats:
Step back with your left foot and hop (Puntato in balzetto)
That again, with the right foot going back
Spezzato-cadenza to turn over you left shoulder.
Verse 3, Lady's Solo:
Spezzati flankingly forward: left, right, left
Riverenza
Spezzati flankingly forward: right, left, right
Riverenza
Flankingly backward to the left: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Passo with left foot, Passo with right foot, Cadenza
Flankingly backward to the right: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Passo with right foot, Passo with left foot, Cadenza
Chorus repeats:
Step back with your left foot and hop (Puntato in balzetto)
That again, with the right foot going back
Spezzato-cadenza to turn over you left shoulder.
Verse 4, Semidoppi Spiral:
Going clockwise, two Spezzati, starting on the left, in a half circle
Semidoppio (Passo, Passo, Spezzato) to finish the circle closer to partner.
Going counterclockwise, two Spezzati, starting on the right, in a half circle
Semidoppio to finish the circle close enough to touch hands.
Flankingly backward to the left: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Spezzato, Riverenza touching hands
Flankingly backward to the right: Ripresa, Ripresa, Trab., Trab.,
Towards partner: Spezzato, Riverenza touching hands
Final Chorus:
Step back with your left foot and hop (Puntato in balzetto)
That again, with the right foot going back
Spezzato-cadenza to turn over you left shoulder.
Want to learn more? Here are two full-length dance classes.
"Regional Bransles", featuring 16th Century Arbeau's Scottish Bransle as done in the West. Danse de Cleves, Germany has 15th century bransle moves.
Featuring both a breakdown of my solo version of Alta Regina and multiple repeats of the dance. Please excuse the initial Zoom hiccups.
Please come to the Yellow Veil Salon starting 9pm Saturday evening to see myself and Lady Avelina of Aethelmearc perform Fiamma d'Amore.