Chiaranzana

An anonymous dance from Il Ballarino, 1581, by Fabritio Caroso. The original is on the web on the LOC site, and is transcribed on Greg Lindahl's site. This dance also appears in a 15th-century source, and is probably a folk-dance.

A half-baked reconstruction by Vivian Stephens, 2005.

Steps

These are basic versions of the steps. As it is a folk-dance, and the instructions say things like "do a Seguito Ordinario or a double" and "Do seguiti spezzati or passi" it's probable that footwork wasn't too important. Usually in 16th-century Italian dance all steps should be kept small, but it is probably not that important here.
Steps are all given for the left foot - reverse everything for the right.

Riverenza = 4 counts
Left foot forward, left foot back,
bend both knees, then straighten up.

Riverenza Minima = 1/2 count
A really fast little riverenza, in this dance occuring tacked onto the end of a spezzato.

Continenza = 2 counts
Step sideways to the left.

Ripresa = 1 count
Small step sideways to the left.

Trabuchetto = 1 count
Small leap sideways to the left, not really going anywhere.

Passo Gravo (could be forward or back, this example is forward) = 1 count
Step forward on left, bring right foot beside left
(This is equivalent to a Single, and I may forget and call it that in class.)

Puntata (could be forward or back, this example is forward) = 2 counts
Step forward on left, bring right foot beside left and put weight on both
lower slightly, rise slightly and end flat.
(This is just a gussied up, very slow, Passo.)

Seguito Ordinario = 2 counts
Step left elevated a little, step right still up a bit,
step left flat, bringing right beside left.
(This is equivalent to a Double or Doppio, and I may forget and call it that in class. Caroso in one place in the dance says to do a Seguito Ordinario or Doppio, and I suspect either will do during the dance. I think a doppio is just a seguito ordinario without worrying about the ornamentation.)

Spezzato (Seguito spezzato) = 2 counts
Step left.
Move right toe beside left heel, raise and lower both heels.
Really, this is just another gussied up Single, and Caroso says in one place in the dance that can do passi instead.

Sequences

Intro = 12 counts
Riverenza, Continenze Left and Right, Puntate Forward and Back

Travel Sequence = 12 counts
Passi Left and Right, Seguito Ordinario,
Passi Left and Right backwards,
2 Riprese both to the Right, Continenze Left and Right.

Turn Sequence = 12 counts
Passi Left and Right, Seguito Ordinario,
Passi Left and Right, Man back, Woman forward, revolving around their joined hands, (they have done a half turn)
2 Riprese both to the Right, Continenze Left and Right.

Mixer = 12 counts (There are three versions of this: Chain, Weave + Ring)
Passi Left and Right, Seguito Ordinario,
Trabuchetti Right and Left,
2 Riprese both to the Right, Continenze Left and Right.
This is just like the travelling sequence, except the backward passi are replaced with trabuchetti.

     Chain Mixer The Chain version of the mixer has the 1st man, during his 2 Passi and Ordinario forward, duck under the arms of the next couple, while still holding his partner's hand. The four of them then link hands, so, as well as holding usual hands with their partners, Man 2 and Woman 1 are holding hands (her right, his left) and Man 1 and Woman 2 are also (behind their backs.) If you think of the 4 people and their linked arms as being in a figure-8 shape, the figure works better.
After doing the Chain the first time, Woman 1 has to pass under the arms of the 2nd couple, as Man 1 is heading under the arms of the 3rd.

     Weave Mixer The 1st couple splits up, during their 2 Passi and Ordinario forward, and go to either side of the 2nd couple, so that they form a line of 4 abreast, Couple 1 facing down the set while Couple 2 faces up. The four of them link hands, so Woman 1's left + Man 2's left are joined, Man 2's right + Woman 2's left, Woman 2's right + Man 1's right.
After doing the Chain the first time, Couple 1 will head to Couple 3, but this split Couple 3 by joining in the center of them. As Couple 1 works down the set they alternate splitting or being split. Each of the other couples always start coming down from the the top by being split (as Couple 1 did), but at the bottom they always start by spitting or by being split depending on how many couples there are in the set.

      Ring Mixer (This version is simpler than the original) Couple 1, during their 2 Passi and Ordinario forward, forms a ring with the 2nd couple, Couple 1 facing down the set while Couple 2 faces up.
After doing the Ring, the couples keep hands with their own partner, and Couple 1 arches over Couple 2. As couples go down the set, they always arch over, and working up always duck under.

Sciolta Mixer = 12 counts
Take both hands with partner do Passi Left and Right, Seguito Ordinario left,
Passi Right and Left, Seguito Ordinario Right,
drop hands and do Spezatto Left (at a bit of an angle) with a Riverenza Minima touching right hands, and Spezatto Right with a Riverenza Minima touching left hands. (I'm presuming this is a rather slow spezatto taking 2 counts, with the riverenza stealing a bit at the end of it. It could also be done with a fast little one count spezatto, the riverenza then taking a whole count on its own.)

Chiarantana

Start: For a procession of couples, women on the right of their partner. These instructions are for six couples, as the music listed works for that many. It will also work for 5 couples. (The recording is 15 minutes long.)

The music for the first half of the dance is the same 12 count phrase, repeated 46 times.

Repeat 1 All Intro
Repeat 2 All Travel
Repeat 3 Cpl 1 Turn Cpl 2-5 Travel
Repeat 4 Cpl 1 + 2 Chain Cpl 3-5 Travel
Repeat 5 Cpl 2 Turn Cpl 1 + 3 Chain Cpl 4, 5 + 6 Travel
Repeat 6
Cpl 2 + 3 Chain Cpl 1 + 4 Chain Cpl 5 + 6 Travel
Repeat 7 Cpl 3 Turn Cpl 2 + 4 Chain Cpl 1 + 5 Chain Cpl 6 Travel
Repeat 8
Cpl 3 + 4 Chain Cpl 2 + 5 Chain Cpl 1 + 6 Chain
Repeat 9 Cpl 4 Turn Cpl 3 + 5 Chain Cpl 2 + 6 Chain Cpl 1 Turn
Repeat 10
Cpl 4 + 5 Chain Cpl 3 + 6 Chain Cpl 2 + 1 Chain
Repeat 11 Cpl 5 Turn Cpl 4 + 6 Chain Cpl 3 + 1 Chain Cpl 2 Turn
Repeat 12
Cpl 5 + 6 Chain Cpl 4 + 1 Chain Cpl 3 + 2 Chain
Repeat 13 Cpl 6 Turn Cpl 5 + 1 Chain Cpl 4 + 2 Chain Cpl 3 Turn
Repeat 14
Cpl 6 + 1 Chain Cpl 5 + 2 Chain Cpl 4 + 3 Chain

Cpl 1 is going to start the Weave mixer, 1st doing one Travel and then the Turn sequence. (If there were only 5 couples there's enough time for each type of mixer to finish completely before the next is started, but it means Cpl 1 spends a lot of time at the top doing nothing much.)

Repeat 15 Cpl 1 Travel Cpl 6 + 2 Chain Cpl 5 + 3 Chain Cpl 4 Turn
Repeat 16 Cpl 1 Turn Cpl 2 Travel Cpl 6 + 3 Chain Cpl 5 + 4 Chain
Repeat 17 Cpl 1 + 2 Weave Cpl 3 Travel Cpl 6 + 4 Chain Cpl 5 Turn
Repeat 18 Cpl 2 Turn Cpl 1 + 3 Weave Cpl 4 Travel Cpl 6 + 5 Chain
Repeat 19 Cpl 2 + 3 Weave Cpl 1 + 4 Weave Cpl 5 Travel Cpl 6 Turn
Repeat 20 Cpl 3 Turn Cpl 2 + 4 Weave Cpl 1 + 5 Weave Cpl 6 Travel
Repeat 21
Cpl 3 + 4 Weave Cpl 2 + 5 Weave Cpl 1 + 6 Weave
Repeat 22 Cpl 4 Turn Cpl 3 + 5 Weave Cpl 2 + 6 Weave Cpl 1 Turn
Repeat 23
Cpl 4 + 5 Weave Cpl 3 + 6 Weave Cpl 2 + 1 Weave
Repeat 24 Cpl 5 Turn Cpl 4 + 6 Weave Cpl 3 + 1 Weave Cpl 2 Turn
Repeat 25
Cpl 5 + 6 Weave Cpl 4 + 1 Weave Cpl 3 + 2 Weave
Repeat 26 Cpl 6 Turn Cpl 5 + 1 Weave Cpl 4 + 2 Weave Cpl 3 Turn
Repeat 27
Cpl 6 + 1 Weave Cpl 5 + 2 Weave Cpl 4 + 3 Weave

Cpl 1 is going to start the Ring mixer.

Repeat 28 Cpl 1 Travel Cpl 6 + 2 Weave Cpl 5 + 3 Weave Cpl 4 Turn
Repeat 29 Cpl 1 Turn Cpl 2 Travel Cpl 6 + 3 Weave Cpl 5 + 4 Weave
Repeat 30 Cpl 1 + 2 Ring Cpl 3 Travel Cpl 6 + 4 Weave Cpl 5 Turn
Repeat 31 Cpl 2 Turn Cpl 1 + 3 Ring Cpl 4 Travel Cpl 6 + 5 Weave
Repeat 32 Cpl 2 + 3 Ring Cpl 1 + 4 Ring Cpl 5 Travel Cpl 6 Turn
Repeat 33 Cpl 3 Turn Cpl 2 + 4 Ring Cpl 1 + 5 Ring Cpl 6 Travel
Repeat 34
Cpl 3 + 4 Ring Cpl 2 + 5 Ring Cpl 1 + 6 Ring
Repeat 35 Cpl 4 Turn Cpl 3 + 5 Ring Cpl 2 + 6 Ring Cpl 1 Turn
Repeat 36
Cpl 4 + 5 Ring Cpl 3 + 6 Ring Cpl 2 + 1 Ring
Repeat 37 Cpl 5 Turn Cpl 4 + 6 Ring Cpl 3 + 1 Ring Cpl 2 Turn
Repeat 38
Cpl 5 + 6 Ring Cpl 4 + 1 Ring Cpl 3 + 2 Ring
Repeat 39 Cpl 6 Turn Cpl 5 + 1 Ring Cpl 4 + 2 Ring Cpl 3 Turn
Repeat 40
Cpl 6 + 1 Ring Cpl 5 + 2 Ring Cpl 4 + 3 Ring
Repeat 41 Cpl 1 Travel Cpl 6 + 2 Ring Cpl 5 + 3 Ring Cpl 4 Turn
Repeat 42 Cpl 1-2 Travel Cpl 6 + 3 Ring Cpl 5 + 4 Ring
Repeat 43 Cpl 1-3 Travel Cpl 6 + 4 Ring Cpl 5 Turn
Repeat 44 Cpl 1-4 Travel Cpl 6 + 5 Ring
Repeat 45 Cpl 1-5 Travel Cpl 6 Turn
Repeat 46 Cpl 1-6 Travel

Sciolta - the music changes

All do Rev, Con L + R
Cpl 1 turns with 2 Ordinarii

Trenchmore Hey section - 7 repeats of the music
Using spezzati or passi, 1st couple leads other couples down the inside of the set and back up the outside, then they do a trenchmore style hey (1st couple duck under 2nd couple's arms, then arches over next, etc, couples always starting their way down the set by ducking under, but at the bottom it depends on number of couples), and then when Cpl 1 is back at the top they lead the other couples down the outside of the set, and back up the inside. There may not be time to do all of that with 6 couples

Sciolta Mixer
Couple 1 do the Sciolta Mixer with each other
Man 1 does it w/ Woman 2, Woman 1 with Man 2
etc, you get the pattern, till everyone is back home.
At the end while waiting for everyone else to finish, take off with ordinarii


Recordings

Balli e Balletti da Ballare - no introduction with this reconstruction (start the Riverenza with the first note of music.)

Last modified Jun 29, 2008

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