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Barriera for six (Ballarino)
Three couples begin, in a circle, each man to the left of his partner (i.e. in the normal position, not with man's and woman's place swapped, as at the beginning of Barriera for two).
First Verse: Opening honours
1-4 Riverenza grave
5-8 2 Continenze, LR
9-12 2 Seguiti ordinarii LR, each turning in place over their own left shoulder
13-16 Riverenza grave facing into the circle again
Second and Third verses: walking in a wheel
1-2 2 Puntate grave, one forwards (into circle), one backwards
5-8 4 Passi in a wheel, to the left
9-10 Seguito ordinario, each turning in place over the left shoulder
11-12 2 Riprese right, facing into the circle again
13-16 2 Continenze, LR
The third verse repeats the second, but replacing the final continenze with a riverenza.
Fourth and fifth verses: swapping places with partner
(same steps as the previous verse, just a different floor-pattern)
1-4 2 Puntate: take right hands with partner and change places
5-8 4 Passi: turn around to left
9-10 Seguito ordinario, walking to left
11-12 2 Riprese right,
13-16 Riverenza, facing
Fifth verse: is the same as the fourth, only taking left hands (with your partner) and returning to place.
Sixth Verse: men only
Each man faces his partner.
1 2 Fioretti à piedi pari
2 2 Passi presti forwards (towards partner)
3 2 Fioretti à piedi pari
4 2 Passi presti forwards (towards partner)
5-8 Spezzato to left, Riverenza right, Spezzato to right, riverenza left.
9-12 4 Spezzati flankingly backwards (back to place)
13-16 All [men and women] Riverenza.
Seventh Verse: women only
1-4 4 Spezzati flankingly forward (toward partner)
5-8 Spezzato to left, Riverenza right, Spezzato to right, riverenza left.
9-12 4 Spezzati flankingly backwards (back to place)
13-16 All [men and women] Riverenza.
Sciolte
Sciolta Grave, played twice
The fastest of the sciolte, as far as your feet are concerned.
1-4 2 Doppii grave, in the wheel, one to the left, one to the right.
5-8 2 Puntate grave flankingly backwards (expanding the circle)
9-10 Seguiti scorsi forwards, end by briefly taking hands in a circle
11-14 4 Spezzati flankingly backwards (releasing hands)
15-16 2 Seguiti ordinarii turning in place, to the left (end facing in again)
The second time is the same as the first, but that you do a Riverenza in place of the final two Seguiti.
Saltarello: The Tournament, with slaps
1-4 4 Spezzati flankingly forwards (contracting the circle)
5 Blow 1. right hands, with your partner
6 Blow 2. left hands, with the person who stands on your other side
7 Blow 3. right hands with partner, again
8 Blow 4. left hands with the person on the other side, again
1-12 2 Continenze LR, taking hands in a circle
13-16 Riverenza
Galliard:
1-4 4 Seguiti ordinarii flankingly backwards (expanding the circle)
5-6 2 Riprese LL, 3 Trabuchetti LRL
7-8 2 Riprese RR, 3 Trabuchetti RLR
9-10 4 Passi trangati flankingly backwards (further expanding the circle)
11-12 Seguito scorso (also backwards? or back into the circle)?
Take ordinary hands with your partner and do and final riverenza, stil in the wheel, outside the music (?).
This is a fairly straightforward adaptation of the dance for two to a circular pattern. There is little alteration of the steps, and most of the interaction is still with your own partner.
The instruction, at the end of the first verse, to begin everything with the left foot except the riprese is curious: there have been no riprese mentioned, and it's not an obvious mistake for any other step. Possibly Caroso was thinking of the riprese to the right in the second verse.
It's not always clear which actions are to be performed facing one's partner, and which facing into the circle (so 'facing' all the others dancing).
In the fourth verse, after changing places with one's partner, the seguito, riprese and riverenza (done 'all'incontro') could be facing either way. I've chosen to assume that they're facing into the circle again.
In the seventh verse, the women's solo, it's a little unclear where the men rejoin the women. The instructions seem to suggest that men as well as women do the spezzati flankingly backwards, but this would seem to be impractical, and it doesn't mirror the sixth verse (where the women join in only for the riverenza). The women's solo is another section that could be done into the circle, or facing one's partner: here too, I've chosen to assume that the much clearer instructions for the men's solo apply to both verses.
The sciolta grave has only one seguito, not two, which makes the timing easier to make sense of (and makes me wonder if there should only be one in the dance for two, as the steps match otherwise).
I am not sure of the timing of the final sciolta. The scorso makes it hard to fit the Riverenza comfortably into the music. I'll need to try this with dancers (something I've not yet done for this one).
The music is the same as in the Barriera for two.
Translated 2005, lightly revised 2012.
BARRIERA, BALLETO, done by six,
in honour of that illustrious lady, Signora Francesca Giunta Mannuci
There will be six people in this Balletto, three men and three ladies in a circle, as was described for Contrapasso nuovo, and together they will do a Riverenza grave, and two Continenze, one to the left and one to the right; then they will turn around to the left with two Seguiti ordinarii, with a Riverenza facing, beginning each thing with the left foot except the Riprese [sic].
In the second tempo [time through the music] they will all do two Puntate together, one forwards and the other backwards; then progressing in a wheel to the left, they will do four Passi gravi, and one Seguito turning around to the left, with two Riprese to the right, facing, and two Continenza, one to the left, the other to the right.
In the third tempo they will do the same passage another time in the same manner, except in place of the two Continenze they will do the Riverenza grave.
In the fourth tempo, each man will take the lady who is at his right hand, by the right hand [Fe], and together they will do two Puntate; then releasing, they will turn around to the left, with four Passi gravi, exchanging places; then facing they will do a Seguito ordinario to the left, with two Riprese to the right, and the Riverenza.
In the fifth tempo, taking the left hand [Fe] they will do the same; each returning into his own place.
Mutanza of the Men alone.
In the sixth tempo, the men alone, each facing his lady, will do two Fioretti à piedi pari, two Passi presti forwards, with another two Fioretti, and another two Passi presti; then they will turn in prospettiva to the left, and do a Seguito spezzato, beginning each thing with the left foot, and the Riverenza minima with the right; similarly turning themselves to the right, they will do the same to the other side. After that they will do four Seguiti spezzati backwards; then all together, ladies as well as men, they will do the Riverenza grave facing.
Mutanza of the ladies alone.
In the seventh tempo the ladies will do four Seguiti Spezzati flankingly forwards, then each one will turn in prospettiva to the left, doing a Seguito spezzato with the left foot, and the Riverenza minima with the right; then turning themselves in prospettiva to the right, they will do the same on the other side; furthermore they will do four Seguiti spezzati flankingly, men as well as ladies, and the Riverenza together.
The sciolta grave of the sonata.
In the first tempo of the sciolta grave, all together do two Doppio in a wheel, one to the left, the other to the right; then they do two Puntate flankingly backwards, and one Seguito scorso forwards, all taking hands in a wheel; then releasing, they will do four Seguiti spezzati flankingly backwards, and two Seguiti ordinarii turning to the left, finding themselves at the end to be facing.
In the second tempo, they all do the same again, except that in place of the two Seguiti turning they do a Riverenza grave facing.
The sciolta of the sonata as a saltarello.
In this tempo of the sciolta the men as well as the ladies will do four Seguiti spezzati flankingly forwards, then each person will give four blows, beginning the first blow with the right hand to the lady who stands to the right; then with the left to her who stands to the left; and they will do this twice until the four blows are finished. Then they will do two Continenze, everyone taking hands in a wheel, and then there is the Riverenza grave.
The sciolta of the Sonata as a galliard.
In this last tempo of the sciolta , after the Riverenza is done, they will release hands, and they will do four Seguiti flankingly backwards; then they will do two Riprese, and three Trabuchetti to the left, beginning with the left foot: they will do the same again to the right, beginning with the right. Finally they will do four Passi trangati flankingly backwards, as was described in the other Barriera, with a Seguito scorso; then, each one taking the lady who stands at his right hand, by the ordinary hand, they will finish the Ballo, by doing the Riverenza together in a wheel.
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