Duchessa

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Duchessa is a 15th Century Italian Dance which appears in two different manuscripts. It is classified as a bassadanza.

Reconstruction

This dance is performed by three people. The original instructions call for one man and two women.

Steps used

Choreography

This dance begins with three dancers standing abreast, with the woman in the centre. Everybody performs a continentia left, a continentia right, and then advances with two sempi. The men continue with two doppi, while the woman performs a ripresa left and a ripresa right. The woman then performs two doppi while then men perform a ripresa left and a ripresa right. The woman should have made slightly larger doppi than the men did, and therefore be a little further forward. The woman performs a voltatonda right with one ripresa, while the men perform a ripresa forward to draw level. Everybody performs a volta del gioioso left, followed by two continentie, left and right.

1-2 CL, CR
3 SL, SR
4-5 DL, DR (men):RpL, RpR (woman)
6-7 DL, DR (woman):RpL, RpR (men)
8 RpL advancing (men):VtR(RpL)(woman)
9-10 VdG
11 CL, CR

Everybody performs two tempi of saltarelli advancing, then two riprese. The woman performs the second ripresa as a mezavolta. Everybody performs two doppi, the men moving away from the woman. Everybody performs a ripresa left as a mezavolta, followed by a ripresa right. In place of the ripresa right the first man (he who started on the left) performs a contintia right and a continentia left. He should now be standing directly opposite the woman. Everybody performs a doppio left, then as the first man performs a doppio right, the woman and the second man perform a continentia right and a continentia left.

Incomplete, to be continued, Conrad Leviston 06:26, 3 Nov 2005 (CST)

Music