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Contrapasso (for two, Ballarino)

Source: 
Italian sources, c.1550-c.1620
Caroso
Il Ballarino (1580)
Dance Type: 
balletto
Number of dancers: 
2
About this choreography: 
Katherine Davies, 2015 (though I've learned reconstructions previously from others, and have doubtless been influenced and inspired aplenty).
Choreography: 

A couple start holding ordinary hands.

Opening honours:

  • Riverenza L
  • 2 continenze, LR

Advance, twice, with this passage:

  • 2 passi gravi LR, doppio presto L (or seguito ordinario L - acknowledged but disliked by Caroso)
  • 2 passi gravi backwards, RL
  • 2 riprese RR
  • repeat

Variation: take hands, arms, both hands

  • take right hands
  • 2 passi grave LR, one Doppio (or Seguito) L, turning to the left
  • take left hands
  • repeat steps, starting on right foot, moving right
  • release hands - turn in the contrapasso, facing:
    • 2 seguiti ordinarii LR, turning around to the left, ending with a meza Riverenza
    • 2 seguiti ordinarii LR, turning around to the right
  • repeat the section above, taking right then left arms; then the turn in the contrapasso
  • repeat the section above, taking both hands, turning left, then right; then the turn in the contrapasso, BUT
    • this time the man does not turn, but does
      • 2 seguiti flankingly backwards,
      • then 2 seguiti forwards
  • end by taking ordinary hands, and facing forwards

THE TUNE, ANOTHER FOUR TIMES

  • 8 seguiti ordinari forwards, LRLR...

VARIATION, ANOTHER THREE TIMES

  • Riverenza L (facing?)
  • 2 continenze LR
  • release hands
  • turn in the contrapasso, as above 
  • 2 passi LR, doppio (or seguito) L, man advancing, woman retreating (facing)
  • repeat passi and doppio on right, woman advancing, man retreating
  • turn in the contrapasso 

Finale:

  • man only Riverenza L
  • woman only Riverenza L
  • woman does turn in the contrapasso while man does four seguiti flankingly, as above
  • at end, man kisses hand (his own?) and takes woman's ordinary hand
  • riverenza together
Condensed version, for calling: 

Opening honours:

  • Riverenza, continenze

Advance:

  • forwards: 2 passi, doppio (or seguito ordinario)
  • backwards: 2 passi 
  • right: 2 riprese 
  • repeat passage

Hands, arms, both hands:

  • right hands: 2 passi, doppio (or seguito)
  • left hands: same
  • turn in the contrapasso
  • arms
  • turn in the contrapasso
  • both hands
  • woman: turn in the contrapasso; man: flanking passage

Advance:

  • 8 (or 12) seguiti forwards

Chasing mutanza:

  • face: riverenza, continenze
  • turn in the contrapasso
  • chasey: 2 passi, doppio (or seguito), man advances, woman retreats
  • repeat: woman advances, man retreats
  • turn in the contrapasso 

Finale:

  • man: Riverenza 
  • woman: Riverenza
  • woman: turn in the contrapasso; man: flanking passage
  • take hands, final riverenza outside music
About this translation: 

From the facsimile at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/caroso/facsimile/387small.html

Katherine Davies, 2015.

Translation: 

Contrapasso

Anonymous Balletto, for two.

In honour of the most magnificent lady Felicita Ziletti.

 

The man will take the lady by the ordinary hadn, and they will do the Riverenza grave with the left foot, and two Continenze, one to the left and the other to the right.

In the second time, progressing, they will do two Passi gravi, and one Doppio presto, beginning with the left foot, a difference from that which was done previously, that is from the two Passi and Seguito ordinario, which went against the Rule, because finding oneself with the right foot behind, one cannot do the same thing, doing another Passo backwards with that same foot: but doing two Passi gravi, and a Doppio presto, finding themselves with the right foot joined, even [with the left], they can reasonably and with grace do a Passo backwards with that same foot, and another with the left, and then do two Riprese to the right, that in this manner they will go accordingly: nevertheless I allow each one that which best pleases. 

In the third tempo, progressing, they will do anew the two Passi gravi, and one Doppio presto forwards; then backwards the two Passi gravi, and the two Riprese mentioned above.

VARIATION OF THE TUNE, three times

In the first time through the variation of the tune, taking right hands, they will do two Passi gravi, and one Doppio, or one Seguito ordinario to the left, beginning with the left foot: then taking left hands they will do the same, beginning with the right: then releasing they will turn themselves around to the left, with two Seguiti ordinarii, at the end of which they will bend the knees a little, as they will do this in the manner of a meza Riverenza: then turning themselves around to the right, they will do another two Seguiti ordinarii.

In the second time, taking right arms, and then left, they will do the same actions, that they will have done in taking right hands, and then left hands, with the same turn.

In the third tempo, taking both hands, they will do two Passi gravi and one Doppio presto, or Seguito to the left; they will do the same on the other side to the right; then releasing, the lady will do the same previously mentioned mutanza another time, and the man will do four Seguiti flankingly, two backwards, and two forwards, taking the lady by the ordinary hand at the end.

THEY RETURN ANEW TO DO THE TUNE ANOTHER FOUR TIMES

In the first tempo, progressing, they will do eight Seguiti ordinarii.

THEY RETURN TO DO THE VARIATION OF THE TUNE ANOTHER THREE TIMES

In the first time all together they will do the Riverenza, and two Continenze gravi, then releasing, they will do the same turn to the one and the other hand.

In the second time, the man will do two Passi gravi, and one Doppio presto forwards, or a Seguito ordinario, beginning with the left: the woman will do the same backwards; then the woman will do the same forwards, and the man backwards, beginning with the right; but always facing: after that they will do the aforementioned turn.

In the third and last time, the man alone will do the Riverenza with the left foot: then the lady will do another Riverenza similarly with the left foot; then the lady will to the two turns previously mentioned to the one and the other hand, and the man will do four Seguiti ordinarii, two flankingly backwards, and two forwards, and the end of which kissing the hand, he will take the lady by the ordinary hand, and doing the Riverenza together, they will end the dance.

Done to the same music as Contrapasso [Nuovo].

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