Duchesco

Duchesco is a 15th Century Italian Dance which appears in six different manuscripts. It is classified as a ballo.

Reconstruction

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

Steps used

• saltarello left and right (SlL, SlR)
• volta del gioioso left (VdgL)
• riverentia left (RvL)
• sempio left and right (SL and SR)
• doppio left and right (DL and DR)
• ripresa left and right (RpL and RpR)
• saltarello tedesco left and right (SltL and SltR)
• voltatonda right (VtR)
• movimento (Mv)

Choreography

The dancers begin in a line, one behind the other, with the woman second. They begin with fourteen saltarelli then a volta del gioioso.

The group perform a riverentia. The lady alone performs two sempi and six doppi in a figure 8 passing around both men and back to here original spot. Everybody perform a ripresa left, a ripresa right and a riverentia left.

1-14 SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR, SlL, SlR
15-16 VdgL
17 RvL
18-24 SL, SR, DL, DR, DL, DR, DL, DR (woman in a figure 8 around men)
25-26 RpL, RpR
27 RvL

Taking right hands the first man and the woman perform two saltarelli tedesci in a circle back to place. Taking left hands the second man and the woman perform two saltarelli tedesci in a circle back to place. The woman then performs eight pive in a figure 8 around the man.

28-29 SltL, SltR (first man and woman take right hands and go in a circle)
30-31 SltL, SltR (second man and woman take left hands and go in a circle)
23-35 PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR, PvL, PvR(woman in a figure 8 around men)

In a line, the group advances with two sempi and a doppio. Everybody performs a riverentia left. The woman performs a movimento, then the men do the same. The woman performs a voltatonda with a doppio. The men perform a movimento, then the woman does the same. The men perform a voltatonda with a doppio left, then the woman performs a voltatonda with a doppio left. The dance is repeated.

36-37 SL, SR, DL
38 RvL
39 Mv (woman), Mv (men)
40 VtL (DL) (woman)
41 Mv (men), Mv (woman)
42 VtL (DL) (men)
43 VtL (DL) (woman)

Music

No music survives for this dance.