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So Ben Mi Chi Ha Buon Tempo
First part: Stand facing somewhat and holding proper hands
1 Riverenza
2
3
4
5 Ripresa left
6
7 Ripresa right
8
1 Puntata left Progressing towards the foot of the hall
2
3 Puntata right
4
5 Seguito ordinario left
6
7 Seguito ordinario right (end facing, drop hands; face across hall, or lead woman around to face?)
8
1 Ripresa left (lit: doppi in .R. minuta, man going forwards, woman backwards)
2
3 Ripresa right (man going backwards, woman forwards)
4
5 Spezzato left (5-8 exchanging places)
6 Spezzato right
7 Seguito ordinario left (countercurl to left)
8
1-8 repeat previous 8 bars starting on right, exchanging male and female roles, ending in own place.
Second Part - Holding hands proper.
In 1-8 they ‘return to the head of the hall’. Perhaps like a conversion, or a U figure, or meza-volta then progress to head of hall?
1 Puntata left
2
3 Puntata right
4
5 Seguito ordinario left
6
7 Seguito ordinario right (end facing)
8
1 Puntata left backwards
2
3 Puntata right backwards
4
5 Two “galliard fioretti”
6
7 3 Passi “in saltino”
8
1 Ripresa left – man only
2
3 Ripresa – man only (could be right, back into place, or left, down the hall)
4
5 Ripresa left – woman only
6
7 Ripresa - woman only
8
Man takes right arm of woman
1 Spezzato (1-4 exchanging places)
2 Spezzato
3 Seguito Ordinario
4
5 Spezzato (Drop hands, turn to left, woman towards foot of hall, man to head.)
6 Spezzato
7 Seguito Ordinario
8
Galliard – Third part – Facing, several steps apart.
The man does the five-step four times, then the woman does likewise, flankingly but facing each other.
The man does the 17-step variation recorded below (4 tempi)
The man repeats the first half, making an 8-step variation (2 tempi).
They exchange places with two five-steps, one exchanging places, one turning left and ending facing.
Galliard – Fourth Part.
As above, but the man and woman exchange roles.
17 step variation for this dance (4 tempi of the galliard):
T1: 2 passi forwards, botta with left foot (forwards), cadenza left
T2: 2 passi backwards in saltino, botta with right foot forwards, cadenza
T3: 2 stamps (battute ferme in saltino) right, cadenza L
T4: cinquepasso left, turning right
8-step variation (2 tempi of the galliard):
T1: 2 passi forwards, botta with left foot (forwards), cadenza left
T2: 2 passi backwards in saltino, botta with right foot forwards, cadenza
Fifth Part (original music). Facing, several steps apart.
1 Puntata left – man alone
2
3 Puntata left - woman alone
4
5 Puntata right – man alone
6
7 Puntata right – woman alone (take both hands at end)
8
1 Ripresa left “slantingly” (“per fianco”)
2
3 Ripresa right slantingly (drop hands at end)
4
5 Seguito ordinario left (5-8 exchange places and ‘beat’ right hands)
6
7 Seguito ordinario right (countercurl?)
8
1 Spezzato left 1-4 ‘around to the left’ (1-8 do a figure-eight)
2 Spezzato right
3 Seguito ordinario left
4
5 Spezzato right 5-8 ‘around to the right’
6 Spezzato left
7 Seguito Ordinario right
8
1 Spezzato left 1-4 ‘taking left hands and passing back’ into place
2 Spezzato right
3 Seguito ordinario left
4
5 Spezzato 5-6 keep going till you’re aligned facing across the hall again.
6 Spezzato
7 Seguito ordinario Drop hands. around to the right.
8 the man ‘goes to take the hand’ the woman ? does the same.
Take hands and riverenza – I can’t fit the R into the music.
The first part (in duple time) is played twice, with internal repeats of each section. This gives 32 bars for each playing, from two repeats each of two 8 bar strains. The structure is the same for the galliard variation, with two bars for each five-step. Then the first part is played once more.
Translated 2003.
“SO BEN MI CHI HA BUON TEMPO”
A balletto by the author for two, in honour of the very illustrious Lady Isabella Borromea, Countess of St. Secondo.
FIRST PART
They take hands, turning to face, as shown in the picture, and they do the Riverenza, two Riprese, to the right and left, two Passi puntati and two Seguiti ordinarii, with that foot, going forward to the foot of the hall, and turning the lady to meet and they drop hands and they do two doppii in Ripresa minuta, one with the left foot; the lord goes in front/forward and the lady behind/backward; the other Ripresa is done with the right foot; the lady goes in front and the lord behind. They do two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario with the left passing into one another’s place, and turning according to that hand; they do the same Ripresa doppii with the right foot, and the lady goes in front, and the lord behind; he goes in front and she behind. They do two fioretti Spezzati and the Seguito ordinario with the said foot, returning to their places, and turning themselves to face.
SECOND PART
The lord takes the left hand of the lady, and they do two Passi Puntati and two Seguiti ordinarii with the left foot, and they return to the head of the hall, and turning themselves to face they do meeting/opposite, two passi Puntati backwards, two galliard fioretti and three Passi gravi in saltino with that foot; the lord alone does two Riprese; the lady does as many. Then he takes the right arm of the lady and they do together two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario with the left turning around to the right and changing places. They part and do two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario with the right turning to the left, the lady goes to the foot of the hall and the lord remains at the head turning themselves to face each other.
THIRD PART
Galliard variation.
The lord does five Passi of the galliard: four times flankingly with the left, turning always his face to the lady; she does the same five passi as he did, the lord does 2 Passi and one ‘botta’[blow] in front with the left, and the cadenza with that foot they do two Passi backwards in saltino and one ‘botta’ in front with the right, and the cadenza, and they do two ‘battute ferme’ in saltino with the said foot and the cadenza with the left. They do once the five Passi with that foot around to the right and the cadenza with that foot. This variation is of r7 ‘botte’ and four tempi of the galliard, they turn to do with the right the Passi in front and behind as they did first. This variation is of 8 botte and two tempi of the galliard they do together twice the five Passi with the left passing into each another’s places; and turning according to that hand and revolving to face.
QUARTA PARTE
The Lady alone does four times the five Passi the lord does the same she does the variation of the 1 7 botte and that of 8 botte; they do together twice the five Passi exchanging places as at first and turning themselves to face.
QUINTA PARTE
Variation of the first tune
The lord does one Passo Puntate forwards with the left. The lady does the same, and he does another forward, she does the same. They take both hands and they do to the side two Riprese, to the left and to the right. They drop hands. Then they beat together the right hand passing into one another’s place with two Seguiti ordinarii turning left. The they do two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario around the same hand two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario around to the right. two fioretti Spezzati and one Seguito ordinario [contrapassando] they take the left hand and they turn around by that hand, and they do another two fioretti Spezzati and they part and they do the Seguito ordinario the lord goes to take the hand and the lady in that same tempo does the same, turning themselves to the right. they take hands and they do the Riverenza together and finish the dance gracefully.
The Music:
Play the first part four times, twice per part, the galliard in turn four times, twice per part, then return to play the first part twice, twice per part and finish at the end of the ballo.
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