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Chirintana

Also known as: 

Guirintana.

See also the sixteenth century dance, Chiaranzana.

Source: 
Italian sources, c.1400-1520
Guglielmo
Dance Type: 
balletto
Number of dancers: 
12
Choreography: 

Very roughly:

12 (or perhaps more) couples in a column.

They start dancing

  • 2 continentie
  • doppio
  • continenzie
  • repeat as desired

Change to piva: 

Snake figure

"Take hands and go around each other in the manner of a snake" might mean all sorts of things.

  • Maybe each couple circles in place (not very snake-like)? 
  • Maybe each couple takes ordinary hands, and the lead couple weaves down through the others, with the rest following?
  • Maybe they all take hands in their couple in a line and do something?

Arches

Continuing with piva, without releasing hands, the first couple goes through the middle of the second couple. Then either they go through the middle of the third, or the third goes through the middle of the first.

Then it continues, "step by step".

That sounds like either:

  • the first couple goes under the arms of all the couples (then perhaps the others follow), OR
  • the first couple goes under arms, the over, then under, then over, down the set (then perhaps others follow)

Turning

Four tempi of piva

  • take hands and do four tempi of piva, turning - maybe four each way? in own couple? just once, or going down the set again (as in the sciolta of Chiaranzana, in Caroso)?

Brigamania ... ?

The end.

Discussion: 

This looks (broadly) very like the Chiaranzana described by Caroso much later in the 16th century. 

The "brigamania" appears to be an unknown term - it certainly isn't meaningful to me, alas.

About this translation: 

Katherine Davies, 2015, from edition of Siena MS in Smith.

Translation: 

Balleto called chirintana for twelve, danced in couples.

First they do two continentie with a passo doppio with another continentia and they should do this as many times as the musicians wish then they will take both hands in couples with tempi of piva they will go one around the other in the manner of a snake then the first couple holding hands departs with some more tempi of piva going through the middle of the second couple and the third through the middle of the first [or first through third - it's not clear] and so step by step then they take hands and do four tempi of saltarello of piva turning the one around the other and this done they do it another time then they take hands and do the brigamania. 

The end.

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