Alesandresca

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

Reconstruction

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

Steps used

• sempio left and right (SL and SR)
• doppio left and right (DL and DR)
• volta del gioioso right (VdgR)
• continentia left and right (CL and CR)
• ripresa left and right (RpL and RpR)
• mezavolta left and right (MzvL and MzvR)
• Movimento (Mv)

Choreography

The dance begins with the man in front of the woman. They perform two sempi and a doppio, followed by a volta del gioioso. They then perform a mezavolta so that the woman is now in front. They then perform two riprese, left and right and two continentie. The couple then repeat this from the start, and the man should once more be in front of the woman.

1-2 SL, SR, DL
3-4 VdgL
5 MzvR
6-7 RpL, RpR
8 CL, CR
9-16 Repeat 1-8

Taking right hands, the couple circle with two sempi and a doppio. Taking left hands the couple return with two sempi and a doppio. They then drop hands and continue with a doppio. They then turn to face each other with a doppio performed as a mezavolta. They perform two riprese left and right, and finish this section with a riverentia.

17-18 SL, SR, DL (holding right hands)
19-20 SR, SL, DR (holding left hands)
21-22 DL, MzvR (DR) 23-24 RpL, RpR 25 RvL

The saltarello section begins with a movimento. The couple then perform two saltarelli to end up next to each other, and the woman performs a mezavolta. The couple then performs a ripresa left and a ripresa right, and finish with a riverentia. The couple then turn around to face the front and repeat the entire dance.

25* Mv
26-27 SlL, SlR
28 MzvR (woman)
29-30 RpL, RpR
31 RvL

Notes

It is difficult to determine whether the couple should begin with the man standing in front of the woman, or the couple standing side by side. The first theory has slightly more evidence and so is used.

This reconstruction assumes a pause between the bassadanza section and the saltarello section.

Reconstruction by Conrad Leviston.

Music

The original music does not survive.