You are here

Home › Italy, 15th Century › Balli › La figlia di Guglielmina

La figlia di Guglielmina (adapted for three)

Also known as: 

L'altra fil guielmina tre

Source: 
Italian sources, c.1400-1520
Domenico
Cornazano
Guglielmo
Dance Type: 
ballo
Number of dancers: 
3
About this choreography: 
No version of this doesn't appears for three in any 15th century source. We adapted the 2-person version to suit three dancers; using patterns found in other 15th Italian dances for three (including those that exist in 2-person versions as well). Most of the steps are the same, most of the figures are similar. Occasionally, we've invented new steps when a section doesn't adapt well for three. Katherine, with David and Nadia, 2025.
Choreography: 

Three people stand side-by-side, holding hands, facing forwards.

It can be danced by people in any combination of gender/s, dancing any combination of gender-roles (of course). The description below is for two women and one man, with the man standing in the middle - adapt to suit your dancers. 

This dance (like the version for two) needs a long room, tiny steps, or both.Note that if you wish to perform the dance twice, you should only use the first 2/3 of the space in the first rendition, so you can advance again in the second time through.

Quadernaria

Advancing together - quick steps

  • 3 fast sempii (LRL)
  • 2 fast continenzie (RL)
  • repeat sempii and continenzie, starting with the right foot 

Parting and coming together again - steps slow down

  • 2 sempii (LR) - man/middle goes forwards, women turn (L) and go backwards
  • riprese in gallone (L) - flankingly forwards and to the left, end facing each other
    • for the person on the right - this is the same shape as in the 2-person dance
    • for the person in the middle - you might do the ripresa directly away from the others (less flankingly)
    • for the person on the left - do most of your mezavolta at the beginning of the ripresa, so you angle away from both of the others 
  • 2 sempii (RL)- return to place
    • NOTE the two-person version has a doppio/three sempio; this dance uses 2 sempii, to make the steps work later on
  • at the end, the man does a mezavolta on the right, to face forwards again, between the women; on the first repeat, everyone does a quick cambio/weight change, to have the left foot free

Repeat the entire section in quadernaria: the advance together, separating and returning, etc. The repeat is identical until the end.

  1. Finish this second section facing each other in a small triangle, instead of facing forwards
  2. No need for a cambio/weight change the second time through

Bassadanza?

There are two ambiguous tempi here. The dance texts say it's bassadanza, but separate it from the 8 tempi of bassadanza following. The best musical source we have seems to have this part still in quadernaria. Recordings vary.

NOTE: different steps and figure from 2-person version.

IF the music uses bassadanza:

  • volta del gioioso (full turn with single R, single L, ripresa R)

IF the music uses quadernaria:

  • turn in place (with 2 doppii? - if you like, you could use the usual doppio in the step before, not two sempii, if you know this is coming)

 

Bassadanza

Separating, women to end of hall, man back to where they started. Move in straight lines - parallel with the walls (ish - you can end up doing a sort of elongated Z-shape to accommodate the riprese).

  • 2 sempii, 2 doppii, the second ending in mezavolta on the right
  • ripresa left (facing) ending in mezavolta on the left, ripresa left (facing away)
  • 2 doppii, the second ending in mezavolta on the right
  • riverentia (facing, from the far ends of the dance space)

Quadernaria

Returning to meet in the middle of the dance space: women moving parallel, towards the man.

  • women: advance towards the man with a doppio left, ending in a movimento
  • man: reply with a doppio (L) towards the women, ending in a movimento
  • women: doppio (R) and movimento
  • man: sempio (R) and movimento
  • women: sempio (L) and movimento

Then

  • man: voltatonda, using one saltarello (L)

Piva

Complete the passage to meet, circle and re-set to begin the dance again.

  • women: swap places, using 3 pive (LRL), passing by right shoulders
  • man: salto (at end of women's voltatonda)

Then man takes woman to his left by right hand

  • man and that woman: 2 pive (RL) sempio (R) - end with this woman facing forwards, at left side of man
  • other woman: movimento (at end of first woman's sempio)

Then man takes the woman to his right by the left hand

  • man and this second woman: 2 pive (RL), sempio (R) - end with this woman facing forwards, at right side of man
  • man: mezavolta to face the front at end of sempio
  • other woman: movimento

The three are now side by side, facing the front, ready to start the dance again if desired. The women will have swapped sides, so will swap roles when the dance repeats. 

On the last time through, we like to finish with a small riverentia on the left, then a posada putting the left foot forwards. 

 

Discussion: 

Not the easiest dance, but well worth it: quirky, playful and flirtatious.

Many dancers find it hard to fit the steps to the music at first (and even to hear the tempi in the music). 

Music: 

I usually teach to the music on Eschewynge Of Ydelnesse by Misericordia and Gaita. This has Bassadanza in the ambiguous section.

Equally lovely, but more challenging to dance to, is the version on Forse che si, forse che non, by the Ferrara Ensemble. This has quadernaria in the ambiguous section.

Creative Commons License All content on this website is released under the CC BY-SA v3.0 license unless otherwise specified. For full details, please see the copyright page.