Bassa Colonna

Bassa Colonna, Balletto, by M. Andrea da Gaeta.

In honour of the most illustrious and excellent lady, the Duchess of Tagliacozzo and Paliano.

He takes the left hand of the Lady, and they stand as in the picture for the dance Austria Gonzaga, doing the Riverenza together, and two Continenze. Though when this dance is "corrected" and someone does it without the Riverenza and Continenze, he makes it very brutish to see; and know that, by the Rule I've given, each dance that begins without doing the Riverenza is entirely false; and the reason is, that one ought always salute and honour the Lady by one's manners, and he who does not do so is marked by the greatest of discourtesy, and despised by the very gentle Lady with whom he does the dance. So I exhort each noble spirit and well-brought-up person to do these Riverenza and Continenze, and these done, the man alone continues the dance by doing two Puntate flankingly forwards, and three Seguiti spezzati flankingly backwards, and a Trabuchetto to the right hand with feet even [a pie pari], lightly on the toes. And the woman ought to do the same.

In the second time, he returns to take the Lady by the ordinary hand, and progressing, they do two Seguiti ordinarii, and at the end of the second they bend their knees a little in the manner of a meza Riverenza, and release [hands], and one goes to the head of the room and the other returns to rest at the foot doing two Seguiti turning by the left hand.

In the third time, facing, the man alone does two Seguiti spezzatti flankingly forwards, with two Riprese and one Trabuchetto with even feet lightly on the toes, with the left flank inwards. Then he does another two Seguiti spezzati flankingly backwards, beginning with the right foot, and three Trabuchetti, doing the last with even feet. The Lady does the same.

In the fourth time, they do a Seguito together, the man forwards, and the woman backwards, beginning with the left foot. They do the same with her going forwards and him backwards. Then the man does two Seguiti ordinarii turning to the left, and the Lady does another two going forwards, taking the left hand of the man.

In the fifth time, the Lady alone does what was done in the beginning of the dance by the man, that is, the two Puntate flankingly forwards, and three Seguiti spezzati flankingly backwards, with a Trabuchetto to the right hand with even feet lightly on the toes, together with all the other actions and ceremonies done above. That done, they take right hands [from the errata at the end of Il Ballarino: change this to "that done, taking ordinary hands they do four seguiti spezzati, then take right hands"] and do two two Passi presti, and the Cadenza as in the Cascarde, beginning with the left foot, and taking left hands they do the same things beginning with the right foot. Then, facing, they do two Seguiti Spezzati flankingly with the left foot, with two Passi presti, and the Cadenza: that is, the man goes forwards and the Lady backwards; and the same beginning with the right foot, that is, the Lady forwards and the man backwards.

In the sixth time they do four Seguiti spezzati in a wheel, beginning with the left foot. Then the Lady turns around  with another two to the left, and the man does another two forwards, taking the Lady by the left hand, and doing two Puntate, one forwards, and the other backwards. Then they give a Riverenza to gracefully finish this Balletto.