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Lo Spagnoletto

Dance Type: 
Number of dancers: 
4
About this choreography: 
I learned this first in the late 90s, from a Letter of Dance article, and loved it and danced it heavily for several years. My memories of that have heavily influenced this new reconstruction, done in 2014.
Choreography: 

Two men and two women begin, in a square, facing inwards, not holding hands.

First Part

"Verse"

  1. Riverenza breve, in saltino (ending in a little jump, like a small cadenza; cf. Caroso's use of the riverenza in balzetto)
  2. seguito ordinario (Negri-style: called seguito semidoppio by Caroso)
  3. 2 "fioretti spezzati" (questionably different from a seguito spezzato)
  4. seguito ordinario turning around to the left

Note: it's not clear whether "turning around to the left" applies to steps 2-4, or just step 4. It's also not clear whether this mean all turning together, in a circle (what Caroso would call in ruota, in a wheel), or each person circling in place.

"First Chorus"

  1. 3 sottopiedi to the left
  2. cadenza left
  3. trabuchetto right
  4. Seguito ordinario turning around to the left

Repeat 1-4 on other side (not explicit in first verse, but clear in later verses, and from music).

"Second Chorus"

  1. 2 passi backwards, turning right then left flank inwards
  2. seguito ordinario forwards

Repeat 1-2 on other side.

Second Part

Verse - women only

In the verse, the women exchange places. 

  1. 2 passi gravi, seguito ordinario forwards
  2. 2 spezzati, seguito ordinario turning round to the right

"Turning round to the right" is a little curious here. I first read this as exchanging places with the step 1, and countercurling (to the left) with step 2, but the directions are wrong. I now read this as a larger loop, rather than a countercurl (pass right shoulders, loop in same direction, end in opposite woman's place, facing inwards). It could equally mean circling around the other woman and returning to one's own place; or be a typo for "turning left".

First Chorus - women only

Second Chorus - all

 

Verse - men only

The men repeat what the women have just done in the preceding "verse".

First Chorus - men only

Second Chorus - all

 

Third Part

Verse

  1. 2 spezzati and a seguito ordinario, with the left
  2. 2 spezzati and a seguito ordinario, with the right, going around to the left

It's not clear what pattern is intended: 1-2 together in a wheel; 1 in a wheel, the 2 with each dancers circling in place; or 1-2 with each dancer circling in place. I prefer the middle on of those options: wheel together, then circle individually.

First Chorus

Second Chorus

 

Fourth Part

Verse - women only

In the verse, each woman approaches each of the men in turn (as I dance it; which takes admittedly some liberties with Negri's description).

  1. 2 passi gravi towards man at left
  2. 2 trabuchetti, near man at left
  3. seguito ordinario left, turning back into place (this turn is not in Negri's description)
  4. Repeat 1-3 on other side, approaching other man.

First Chorus - women only

Second Chorus - all

 

Verse - men only

The men repeat what the women have just done in the preceding "verse", approaching each of the women in turn.

First Chorus - men only

Second Chorus - all

 

 

Fifth Part

Verse

  1. Each man takes the right arm of his own lady (i.e. the woman standing to his left); they circle with 2 spezzati and a seguito ordinario
  2. Repeat 1. with other woman in other direction.

It's not clear whether the dancers circle all the way round, returning to their own places, at each step above; or half way round only, exchanging places at each step. I prefer the former.

First Chorus

Second Chorus

There is a final Riverenza after the music has finished.

Discussion: 

This is Negri's four-person version of classic (and much varied) "Spagnoletta" dance. His is for four people, and to a duple variant of the usual tune, but it's recognisably a version of the same dance; more so than Caroso's "Spagnoletta Nuova in modo di Madriglia".

There are several reconstructions of this dance that are quite popular. Mine is heavily influenced by the first version I learned, that by Sion Andeas (thanks!). It's rather different to Del's, which is the most common version in Australasia. 

There are, as usual with Negri, plenty of ambiguities in the text. Mine is not the only reasonable reconstruction, it's just the way I like to dance it. 

The dance is written in five parts, but as the second and fourth parts each require two repeats of the music (once for the women and again for the men), the music must be played seven times altogether.

Music: 

The music is closely related to the "Spagnoletta" tune, though in duple-time, rather than the usual triple.