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Barriera (Chigi)

Title translation: 
At the barriers
Source: 
Chigi
Dance Type: 
balletto
Number of dancers: 
2
About this choreography: 
A rough reconstruction from 2005, fitting the steps of the Chigi MS to the pattern and timing developed for the Barriera from Il Ballarino.
Choreography: 

 

 

 

1 (start improper)

2, 3 & 4 (progressing)

5

6&7 (soli, man then woman)

1

Rev

Pontata l

Pontata l [rev?]

P

2

 

 

 

P

3

 

Pontata r

Pontata r

P

4

 

 

[release]

P

5

C

Passo

Doppio

Passo

6

 

Passo

 

Rev

7

C

Passo

 

Passo

8

 

Passo

 

Rev

1

S both hands, turning

Seguito

Seguito

Ritirata

2

 

 

 

Ritirata

3

S

4 riprese

4 riprese

Ritirata

4

 

 

 

Ritirata

5

Rev (improper hands)

C l [Rev in 4, right hand to lady]

?

Rev (both)

6

 

 

 

 

7

 

C r

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

Probably Sciolte:

 

1 & 2

3

4

1

Doppio (turn l)

SP forwards

SP back flankingly

2

 

SP

SP

3

Doppio (turn r)

SP

SP

4

 

SP

SP

5

Punt (forwards)

Give r

SP turning l

6

 

Give l

SP

7

Punt (bakcwards)

Lady both to man

SP turning r

8

 

Man both to lady

SP

1

S (flank. forwards)

C

Passo forwards

2

S (“ “ give hands, l m)

 

P

3

Rit

C

P

4

Rit

 

P (taking lady)

5

Rit

Rev (right hand)

“scorsa e reverentia”

6

Rit

 

 

7

S (turning l)

 

 

8

S

 

 
Discussion: 

This is the earliest of the Barriera, and very like the Barriera in Il Ballarino, though simpler in its descriptions. This confirms the impression that the Barriera as described in Il Ballarino represents a somewhat widespread and popular dance.

Music: 

There is no music in the Chigi MS. This dance appears to fit the music used in other Barriera (Il Ballarino, Nobilta di Dame, Negri).

About this translation: 

Translated Katherine Davies, April 05, from transcript in:

Fabio Carbone, Barbara Sparti, Agostino Ziino, "Balli to Dance and Play in a Sixteenth-Century Miscellany", Music Observed: Studies in Memory of William C. Holmes, Ed. Colleen Reardon and Susan Parisi, Harmonie Park Press, Warren, Michigan, 2004, pp. 31-54.

Translation: 

 

The Lady in this ballo gives the right hand to the man and at the same time both do the first riverentia and two continentie, one with the left [manco] and the other with the right; and then they give both hands, one as the other, and do two seguiti turning, and then the lady returns [and] gives the right hand, making a reverentia together.

Then do together a pontata with the left and then with the right foot; then do four passi and a seguito and also 4 riprese together; then do two continentie, one with the left and another with the right similarly together.

And then two pontate and 4 passi and a seguito and 4 riprese and two continentie, one with the left the other with the right.

And then two pontate and 4 passi and one seguito and also 4 riprese both together; then the man gives the right hand to the lady and both together they do a riverentia with the left foot.

Then after the riverentia do two pontate, one with the left and the other with the right; then release, doing [da per se] a doppio and a seguito, turning with 4 riprese.

Then the man alone does 4 passi; then does another with a reverentia; then another with the right with another reverentia; then he does four ritirate; then both do a reverentia.

And the lady does the same as the man has done.

Then at the same time they do a doppio, turning by the left hand and another turning by the right hand; then do two puntate, one forwards and the other backwards; then two seguiti forwards, flankingly, and the lady gives with both hands to the man; and 4 ritirate and two seguiti turning by the left hand.

Two other doppi, flankingly, and a puntata forwards and one backwards; two seguiti forwards, flankingly, and the man gives with both hands to the lady, and 4 ritirate and reverentia.

4 spezzati forwards and giving first with the right hand and then with the left; then the lady gives to the man with both hands; then the man gives to the lady with both hands; two continenze and, taking with the right hand, reverentia.

And four spezzati backwards, flankingly, and two turning to the left and two turning to the right and 4 passi forwards, taking the lady, scorsa and reverentia.

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