Angiola

Angiola is a 15th Century Italian Dance which appears in the manuscript Siena, Biblioteca Comunale, L.V. 29. It is classified as a ballo.

Reconstruction

This dance is performed by three people, two men and a woman.

Steps used

• saltarello left and right (SlL, SlR)
• sempio backwards left and right (SbL and SbR)
• doppio left and right (DL and DR)
• mezavolta left and right (MzvL and MzvR)
• contrapasso left and right (CpL and CpR)
• ripresa left and right (RpL and RpR)
• continentia left and right (CnL and CnR)

Choreography

The dancers begin three abreast, holding hands, with the woman in the middle. They perform twelve saltarelli, beginning on the left foot. They perform a ripresa left and a ripresa right, followed by two sempi and two doppi, then drop hands to perform a mezavolta left using a ripresa. Taking hands again they repeat the sequence that begins with the ripresa two times.

1-12 SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR
13-14 RpL, RpR
15 SL, SR
16-17 DpL, DpR
18 MzvL (RpL)
19-24 Repeat 13-18 (opposite feet)
25-30 Repeat 13-18 (same feet)

The first man (who is currently on the right hand side) performs two sempi and two contrapassi. In the time where there would normally be a third contrapasso, he turns around and waves to the lady. The second man then does the same.

31 SL, SR (1st man)
32-33 CpL, CpR, wave (1st man)
34 SL, SR (2nd man)
35-36 CpL, CpR, wave (2nd man)

The first man performs a mezavolta with two sempi while the lady advances with two sempi. They both perform a riverentia. The second man performs a mezavolta with two sempi while the lady advances with two sempi (she should now be half way to the men). They both perform a riverentia. Everybody performs a ripresa left then a ripresa right.

The first man performs a mezavolta with two sempi while the lady advances with two sempi. They both perform a riverentia forward. The second man performs a mezavolta with two sempi while the lady advances with two sempi (she should now be between the men). They both perform a riverentia. Taking hands they perform a ripresa left and a ripresa right. They finish with eight pive.

37 MzvL (SL, SR) (first man) SL, SR (woman)
38 RvL (first man and woman)
39 MzvL (SL, SR) (second man) SL, SR (woman)
40 RvL (second man and woman)
41-42 RpL, RpR
43 MzvL (SL, SR) (first man) SL, SR (woman)
44 RvL (first man and woman)
45 MzvL (SL, SR) (second man) SL, SR (woman)
46 RvL (second man and woman)
47-48 RpL, RpR
49-56 PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR

Notes

Reconstruction by Conrad Leviston. The original instructions are confusing and at times illogical. This is not an ideal reconstruction, but gives an elegant dance, with a reasonable level of concordance to the original.

Music

No music survives for this dance.