Notes for Rosina's class at Step Sprightly, Feb 2015

La Principessa di Sancto Paulo: Being an Examination of the Use of Varying Misure in the Bassadanza + an Adaptation of Guglielmo Ebreo's "Principessa" to a Tune out of Skraeling Althing

This class came about as I was musing one day whether any of the period bassadanze happened to be the same length as the music for Jamie's "Saint Paul's Cathedral". Since I prefer a 6/4 interpretation of music for bassadanza, I used two bars of Saint Paul's for one bar of bassandanza, so each verse has a pattern of 8 bars (2+2+2+2) + 24 bars (4 times 3+1+2) + 4.5 bars (1.5+1.5+1.5), or a total of 36.5 bars. Guglielmo Ebreo's bassadanza Principessa (not to be mistaken for the ballo of the same name), found in 7 sources, has exactly 35.5 bars, if one includes the 2 continenze that are added to the start of the dance in two sources (one being Siena, which usually adds 2 continenze to the start of bassadanze), and the 2 doppii that replace 2 sempii in one other source. (However, the half bar is a sempio used as a mezavolta at the end of a reverenza. I strongly suspect that this isn't actually meant to have a half bar, but is a "shift of weight while turning the other way at the end of the bar." And the sources that add the two continenze at the beginning then leave out four other bars in later places.)

The dance, unfortunately, is rather dull, at least to me, who prefers a dance to have figures + interaction between dancers. It is done in a column, with a number of mezavolte, everyone turning at once, the dancers ending as they started. It could be done as easily by one person alone as by two, like the Giorgio ms calls for, or "three or six" like the Siena ms.

What is interesting about Principessa is that it includes saltarello tedesco. Bassadanza often include some saltarello steps (which this dance also has) and the theoretical sections of the Domenico + Cornazano mss note that bassadanze can be done using the steps of any of the other misure, but it is not common.

So I decided to adapt the dance, both to have more interesting figures, and to include all the methods of dancing to bassadanza music: bassadanza, saltarello tedesco (one in one bar of bassadanza), slow saltarello (doing one to one bar), fast saltarello (two done in one bar), or piva (two in one bar).

Key

Steps

I count bassadanza with 6 beats, using the following method to the different dance types, starting on the left foot

Original Principessa (reconstructed mostly from the Guglielmo ms)

Adaptation

For my adaptation I decided to include the initial continenze found in two sources, but convert them to reverenze (as another source does in another location), and have them done by the men + then the women, thus matching the beginning of Jamie's dance. I add the reverse sequence of reverenze later, again to match St Paul's Cathedral, replacing a full reverenza done by everyone in Principessa, (+ also dropping a doppio,)

The next two sempii (which I don't have turning) then start on the left foot, leaving the correct foot free for the turning ripresa, with this turn only done by the men, so the dancers can start to interact. I leave out the two following bars (two sources also leave out two bars of this bit, though not the same as I chose) + drop the turning sempio (or weight shift) that follows the reverenza in the original.

This takes up the 1st section of the music. For the remaining five I have each begin with three bars of a traveling section, interacting with other dancers, using the five ways of dancing bassadanza, in increasing speed.

The 2nd section I start with the 3 riprese portugalese that occur here in the original, done in bassadanza misure. For the three bars remaining I drop the volta del gioioso (the dancers are on the wrong foot in the original anyhow), but retain the riprese + reverenza.

The 3rd section I have the Saltarelli Tedesci done in a zigzag pattern, + this time drop the two riprese, but keep the Volta del Gioioso (doing it in my favourite, if inauthentic, "gypsy" style), and fill in the last bar w/ a reverenza.

Principessa then has 2 continenze (reverenze in one source), which I had moved to the beginning, and then a short section of 2 saltarelli, with no mention if these are done fast or slow. I use 3 slow saltarelli, so switch the feet of the turning ripresa + turning doppio that follow, and then convert the two sempii into another turning ripresa.

The 5th section I add in 3 bars of fast saltarello, doing them as "arming", but follow them with the same 2 riprese + reverenza that are all that remain in the original.

The last section is a complete fabrication, having 3 bars of pive, and ending in the starting position with a reverenza.

When doing my version the figures are much more interesting, at least if there is anyone to dance with. The people on the ends will soon run out of partners. To solve this problem, the column can be turned into a circle if there are enough dancers. (And bend the circle into a cruciform, if there are 12 dancers who really want to do it in St. Paul's style.) If there aren't enough for a circle, the dancers should turn around, on the spot, during the traveling sections (the 1st 3 bars of sections 2, 3, 4 + 6), whenever they do not have someone to dance with.

Since the changes I've made to the dance are so numerous, (way more than those between Domenico's Rostiboli Gioioso and Guglielmo Ebreo's Gioioso in Tre, for instance), I am taking credit for the choreography, rather than merely thinking of it as a reconstruction.

Principessa di Sancto Paolo, choreographed by Rosina del Bosco Chiaro (Vivian Stephens)

This description is specified for 3 couples, to make the occurrence of the extra turns to face back into the set clear. With a different number of couples these turns would be at a different time, and if the line was big enough to form a circle they would be unnecessary. (And "up the set" would refer to clockwise, "down the set" counterclockwise.)

When I refer to the left or right side of the set, I mean to the dancer's own left or right side.

Dancers = M1 (Man 1), W1 (Woman 1), M2, W2, M3, W3, all facing up the hall in a single column.

Section 1 - Intro (4+4 bars)

[Everyone ends off to their own left side, so the set is divided into a men's line facing down, women's line facing up, diagonally facing partner.]

Section 2 - Straying (6 bars)

[1st ripresa Portugalesa pass nose to nose with partner, so all off to right side. 2nd pass nose to nose, M1 now with W2+ M2 with W3, while M3 + W1 (being out of dancers) do a half-turn on the spot, everyone ending to the left side, 3rd pass nose-to-nose W1 with W2, M1 with W3, M2 with M3 + end to the right. At the end of Section 2 everyone is facing the person they last passed, all to the left side. (If done in a line, the men would now be facing up, women down.)]

Section 3 - Change Mind (6 bars)

[1st saltarello Tedesco pass L shoulders, W1 with W2, M1 with W3, M2 with M3, ending to the right side. 2nd pass R shoulders, M1 with W2, M2 with W3, the other two turning on the spot. The 3rd pass L shoulders with partner, ending with L shoulders together, men facing up the set, women down. During the volta del gioioso they should not complete the circle, so end Section 3 in @ the same place, but back a bit, so diagonally facing partners, everyone to the rights side of the set.)

Section 4 - Straying Again (6 bars)

[1st saltarello take R-hands w/ partner doing @ 3/4 circle around them, 2nd take L-hands, (M2 w/ W1, M3 w/ W2, doing @ half-circle around them, while M1 + W3 do it as a half-turn on the spot). 3rd take R-hands (M1 with M2, M3 with W1 + W2 with W3, doing @ 2/3 circle around them) ending on R-side of set, L shoulders near but past this person. Turning ripresa R is done nose-to-nose w/ them, so now still on R-side of set, but facing other way. The Doppio L is also done half way around them, + turning ripresa to pass nose-to-nose again with them, so end same place as the 1st turning ripresa in this section. (If the dance is done in a line, the men would be facing down, women up the set.]

Section 5 - Found True Love (6 bars)

[The saltarelli are done with this person, + end in the same place as the last section, except turned around, so on left side of set, R-shoulders together. At the end of Section 5 in exactly the same place, facing the other way, L shoulders together, on R side of set. (When done in a column. men are are facing down, women up.)]

Section 6 - Recollecting Responsibilities (1.5+1.5+1.5 bars)

[Do the pive very small, the 1st 3 = take R-hands with person been dancing with, so pass in front of them + end with R-shoulders close. Last 3 pive take L-hands with next person (M2 with W1, M3 with W2, M1 + W3 turning on the spot), passing in front + to side of them, so coming to face partner, from R side of set, man facing down, woman up On mezaripresa women are getting into line behind partner, men doing half turn to face front.]

End as started.