Riunione

Bassadanza, choreographed by Rosina del Bosco Chiaro (V. Stephens), Aug AS XXXI (1996).
For one couple. 37 bars total

Steps: all done "in 6" = reverenza, continenza, saltarello, sempio, doppio, ripresa, ripresa portugalesa, volta del gioioso, mezavolta .
Start:  One couple, side by side, the man on the left, holding hands. They are facing up the hall, and should be close to midway through it, ie perhaps 40% of the hall is behind them, and 60% in front. The dance takes a lot of space - at least 12' wide by perhaps 60' long.
 

      Section 1 (4 bars)
Continenza Left, Continenza Right, starting as the music starts,
Sempio Left, Sempio Right, Man ending with a Mezavolta Right, so he is standing in front of and slightly to the left of the woman,
Ripresa Left, (so passing in front of each other),
(Woman is now facing up the hall, Man facing down, to the right of each other),
Sempio Right, Sempio Left, passing right shoulders.

      Section 2 (8 bars)
Both Mezavolta into Ripresa Right, so they are facing, but getting further apart, moving to their own side of the hall,
Mezavolta into Ripresa Left, so back to back, but far apart, and getting even furthur apart
(Woman is facing up, Man facing down the hall)
Doppii Right, Left, Right, ending with Mezavolta Right (so facing each other, about 30 feet apart)
Saltarello Left, Right, Left
(End side by side, with left shoulders practically touching, Woman facing down the hall, Man up.)

      Section 3 (4 bars)
Reverenza Longa Right (reverenza takes two bars instead of usual one). (Ow, ow, ow! but sacrificing ones knees for art is a small price to pay ...)
Volta del Gioioso. (Because of the starting position, the couple will be rotating around each other.)
(End as started, Woman facing down and Man up the hall.)

      Section 4 (9 bars)
4 Doppii, starting the first on the left, each doing a circle on their own. Start heading off diagonally to the right, curve around counterclockwise, and head back straight for partner. Try to maintain eye contact as much as possible.
(End with Woman facing up the hall, Man down, and a little to the right of each other)
Take right hands, (on the drum beat that starts this bar is perfect), and circle (clockwise) around each other with Sempio Left, Sempio Right, Doppio Left,
Switch hands and direction, and circle with Sempio Right, Sempio Left, Doppio Right.
(End with Woman facing down the hall, Man up, a little to each others left.)
Reverenza Left. Drop hands.

      Section 5 (4 bars)
Two Riprese Portugulese backwards, Left then Right.
(Now woman still facing down, man up, and little to left of each other, though furthur apart.)
Ripresa Portugulesa Left forward.
(Now a little to each others right side, and a little apart)
Sempio Right, and Pause for half a bar, Woman ending with a Mezavolta Right. (Keep the intensity during that pause!!! This is the climax of the dance, not a half bar that I couldn't think of anything to do with. I meant that pause there! Use it!)
(Side by side now, facing up hall, Man on left.)

      Section 6 (8 bars)
Ripresa Left, Ripresa Right, holding hands,
Sempio Left, Sempio Right,
Doppii Left, Right and Left,
Volta del Gioioso, side by side, taking hands during the ripresa.
    End in Stillness.

Dance ends here. If any extraneous courtesies are deemed necessary, they should be done completely outside of the music, waiting at least a bar of silence before a reverenza.


Notes

The name of the dance means Reunion in Italian

This is a dance in the style of the Italian bassadanze of the 15th-century. Any 37 bar bassadanza will do for the music, but the dance was choreographed around the piece "The Arrival and the Reunion" by the group Dead Can Dance.

Think intense. Keep the motion clean. Undagiarre and campegiarre are good if you know them, but don't throw in any extraneous ornamentation. Focus on partner, ignore any audience. Eye contact!

There is no introduction in the music. I don't feel a reverenza is necessary. Continenze were sometimes used in place of a reverenza, so the initial continenze serve that purpose.



Recording

Aion - No introduction.

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