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Home › Italy, 16th Century › Improvisatory dances › Galliard › Gagliarde from Compasso › Mutanze Scempie

Mutanza scempio 8

Title translation: 
Compasso's eighth single-tempo galliard variation
Source: 
Italian sources, c.1550-c.1620
Compasso (1560)
Dance Type: 
improvisatory
Number of dancers: 
1
Choreography: 

Start with feet, side by side, neither one in front of the other - a pie pari.

  1. jump to the left, starting and ending on both feet
  2. jump to the left again
  3. kick backwards with the left foot, hopping on the right foot, turning around to the left
  4. kick forwards with the left foot, hopping on the right foot, turning further around to the left
  5. cadenza - jump, completing the turn to the left
  6. land on both feet, facing forwards again

Reverse 

  1. jump to the right, landing on both feet, feet even - neither one in front.
  2. jump to the right again
  3. kick backwards with the right foot, hopping on the left, turning around to the right
  4. kick forwards with the right foot, hopping on the left, turning further around to the right
  5. cadenza - jump, completing the turn to the right
  6. land on both feet, facing forwards again.

The first tempo moves you a little way to the left, the second brings you back. The turn takes some practice to execute cleanly.

 

Discussion: 

It's possible that the two balzetti are to be done to the left and then to the right, in the same tempo: I prefer going twice to one side in one tempo, then coming back in the next.

I like the turn in the campanella, but it takes some practice to execute cleanly. Of course Compasso doesn't specify which way you should turn, nor how far around. 

Condensed version, for calling: 

Two jumps to the side, then kick back and forwards turning around.

To the left:

  1. Jump 
  2. jump 
  3. turn
  4. turn
  5. turn
  6. land

To the right:

  1. jump  
  2. jump 
  3. turn 
  4. turn
  5. jump
  6. land
About this translation: 

Katherine Davies, 2016.

Translation: 

Two balzetti (little jumps) with even feet, to the side, and the turning campanella.

Transcription: 

8. Duoi balzetti a pie paro per finacho è la campanella volta.

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