Petit vriens

Petit vriens (also petite rinense or popularly the duck dance) is a 15th Century Italian Dance which appears in the manuscript Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Ital.476, known as PnA. It is classified as a ballo. It was choreographed by Domenico da Piacenza, one of the three masters of Italian Dance.

In the SCA Barony of Stormhold it is traditionally the last dance performed at an event.

Reconstruction

This dance is performed by three people.

Steps used

• piva left and right (PvL and PvR)
• doppio left, right, back left (DL, DR, DbL)
• riverentia (Rv)
• ripresa left and right (RpL and RpR)
• voltatonda left (VtL)

Choreography

Beginning in a row, one behind the other holding hands, perform sixteen pive.

PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR
PvL, PvR

The first person departs doing four pive. The second person does four pive to end up behind the first. The third person does four pive to end up behind the second. The first person departs doing one doppio (at half the speed of the piva). The second person does a doppio to end up behind the first. The third person does a doppio to end up behind the second.

PvL, PvR (first person)
PvL, PvR

PvL, PvR (second person)
PvL, PvR

PvL, PvR (third person)
PvL, PvR

DL (first person)
DL (second person)
DL (third person)

The first person performs a riverentia to the second (who responds likewise at the same time). The third person performs a riverentia to the second. With the first and third already facing in from having done riverentia to the second, everybody performs a riverentia to the centre of the group.

Rv (first person)
Rv (third person)
Rv (all)

Everybody performs a doppio left backwards away from each other, then perform a doppio right forwards to come together. They perform a ripresa left (at the same speed as the piva), a ripresa right, and finally a voltatonda left. After the voltatonda the three join up in a line again. The dance then repeats.

DbL
DR
RpL
RpR
VtL

Variations

Do the final riprese at the same slow speed as the doubles, incorporating the voltatonda into the ripresa to the right.

When starting over, take hands with a different leader.

Other reconstructions

• Reconstruction from Joy and Jealousy
• Reconstruction from Del's Dance Book
• Reconstruction from Master William Redcape of Iron Mountain

Music

The original music survives, although there is no four part arrangements here yet.