March 12th

Our first evening in Avondale Lions Hall, and the first class of 2015.

As all present were experienced dancers, we mixed harder and easier material through the evening.

Amoroso

An old favourite for a warm-up; danced either in couples or as individuals.

La Figlia di Guglielmino, for two

Familiar to all of us, but worth brushing up as preparation for learning the four-person version.

Queen's Almain

We danced the version from MS Rawlinson Poet. 108, rather than the usual version.

La Figlia fi Guglielimino, for four

Our first attempt at La Figlia for four. It went rather well. There are still some subtelties to work out (the men's mezavolte in the second quadernaria section, for instance), and some practice to get it smooth and performable. We succeeded in doing it twice through, i.e. with the front and rear couples changing roles.

Dance game: improvisation and memory exercise

• In a circle, person A does a step or sequence, then everyone repeats it together.
• Then person B does A's sequence, and adds their own. Then all repeat A and B in turn.
• Person C does A's, then B's sequence, then adds another. All repeat.
• Etc.

E.g. 

1. David: Seguito Battuto. Then everyone: seguito battuto.
2. Nadia: Seguito battuto, three stamps (then everyone the same)
3. Angela: Seguito battuto, three stamps, seguito battuto (then everyone)
4. Patrick: Seguito battuto, three stamps, seguito battuto, cadenza (then everyone)
5. Katherine: Seguito battuto, three stamps, seguito battuto, cadenza, riverenza (then everyone)

We did this several times, with different people starting and different types of step appearing.