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Vocabulary for Canary

Fri, 2017-02-17 12:59 — katherine

Following a request for a "starter vocabulary" for someone learning the canary for the first time. There are much more detailed descriptions of the steps on their individual pages, same for the parts of the dance - this is just a way to get them all in one place and jog the memory.

	plural	aka	called as	description	length
canario	canarii	canary, canaries, Il Canario, Canarios		Genre of dance, popular across Europe from mid-16thC, characterised by stampy improvisations and a syncopated rhythm

Parts of the dance
mutanza	mutanze	variation, solo		A more-or-less showy solo, often improvised. In canaries, you and your partner often take turns doing mutanze for each other.	one or more complete strains
passeggio	passeggii	passage, walking section, promenade		What you do when you're not doing mutanze. In the canary: the turning passage, and the stuff when both parties are moving - circling, separating, changing ends, etc. In other dance-types it can also be the plainer steps that you do while you're watching your partner do a mutanza (in canaries you usually stand still to do that).	one or more complete strains
turning passage		passeggio involta		How you cue the begginning and end of a mutanza: four spezzati turning in place. Two take up one strain.	half a strain (2 phrases, 8 bars)
strain		repeat, time through the music		16 bars of canary music - once through the tune Sometimes there is a 17th bar pause at the end. Mutanze come in units of 1, 2, 3, 4 or more strains.	16 (or 17) bars, 4 phrases
phrase		4-bar unit		4-bar phrase that's the basic unit for improvisation. Four of them make up one strain.	4 bars, 1/4 of a strain

Beginning and end - honouring your partner
ordinary hands		proper, as you usually are		man and woman stand side by side, man on the left, woman on the right, man holds woman's left hand in his right
riverenza	riverenze	honour, reverence	riverenza -back-down-up	honouring your partner at the beginning and end of your dance. A specific move, doesn't involve a bending-at-the-waist bow.	8 bars (half a strain), usually
continenza	continenze		step-across	small step sideways, part of the sequence of honouring your partner, usually they come in pairs, next to a riverenza	4 bars (1/4 strain), usually

Steps in passeggii
spezzato	spezzati	seguito spezzato (broken sequence), ~ schisciato al canario (sliding ~ in the canary), ~ schisciato in saltino (sliding ~ with little jumps)	spez-za-to, spezz	The normal step you use to get yourself from place to place in passeggii. A single with an up-and-down ornament at the end. Ornaments specific to canaries: audible sliding/scuffing with the feet, optional little hops at the end.	2 bars (i.e. 2 in a phrase, or 8 in strain)

Steps in mutanze
seguito battuto	seguiti battuti	beaten sequence, battuto (this is a bit ambiguous, can just mean stamp), seguito battuto al canario, canary step	heel-toe-stamp heel-toe-tap ba-da-da	The characteristic step for Canary mutanze: if in doubt, do this.	1 bar (i.e. 4 in a phrase, 16 in a strain)
battuto	battuti	stamp, tap	stamp	a stamp or tap with the foot (or sometimes hand)	can easily fit 2-4 in one bar
passo	passi	step	step	a step - plain	it varies
scorso	scorsi	seguito scorso	scorso	lots of little steps up on the toes, often done in circles	4 bars (but it can vary)
trabucchetto	trabucchetti	trab, jump	trab	A small jump to the side, landing up on the toes of one foot. Often found near riprese.	usually 1 bar, or 1/2 a bar
ripresa	riprese			A small step to the side. Often found near trabucchetti.	1 bar (four per phrase)
ripresa minuita	riprese minuite	heels-and-toes	heels-toes-heels-toes	sliding sideways step, putting heels together, then toes, in turn	2 or 4 bars (one or two per phrase)
meza riverenza	meze riverenze	passing reverence	meza riverenza	little reverenza / bow - passing acknowledgement of your partner either as a short step, or done as part of the end of another step (e.g. at the end of some scorsi)

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