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Voltati in ca Rosina

Also known as: 

Similar, but not identical, to Rossina.

Source: 
Dance Type: 
Number of dancers: 
3
About this choreography: 
Katherine Davies, in class, 2016.
Choreography: 

The dance is for one man between two women. It's in quadernaria misura for most of the dance, then changes to piva at the end. 

First time through the music

Together:

  • 2 doppii
  • voltatonda (complete turn), using two doppii, starting with the left foot (we turn to the left, too)

Man/middle person only:

  • 2 sempii and a doppio, leaving, then he stops

Women:

  • 2 sempii and a doppio to catch up
  • Man: mezavolta (half turn) during women's doppio

Second time through the music

All

  • 2 tempi of saltarelli, going away from one another (we do this in the same time as the doubles in quadernaria, but with the hops from the saltarello at beginning and end) (we separate in a linear fashion - the women walk parallel)
  • Mezavolta
  • 2 riprese (facing each other), left and right
  • voltatonda, with a doppio (we turn left)
  • 4 continentie, starting left

Third time through the music

All

  • 2 sempii doppio (approaching in linear fashion)
  • a doppio withdrawing (now into a triangle - no longer linear)
  • voltatonda (full turn) begining with the left foot (we use a double, and turn left)
  • ripresa right (still in triangle)
  • riverentia, low to the ground (sink almost onto left knee)
  • four continentie, starting left

Fourth time through the music (which may alter somewhat in rhythm) - Piva

  • man takes woman to right (with right hand), they circle with four tempi of piva
  • man takes woman to left (with left hand), they circle with four tempi of piva
  • all three do piva "in the style of a snake" so the man returns to his place (we do a circular hey for three, using 8 piva)

The dance can be repeated if desired (though that's not mentioned in the single source). 

 

Discussion: 

This is a little unusual, in being for a single man and two women - it's far more common to have men outnumber women in 15thC Italian dance (see my blog post "Gender balance in 15thC Italian dances" for a breakdown of the numbers). 

Capriol's way of dancing this:

Style:

This dance can be wonderfully lively, and yet elegant. The sense of liveliness is much enhanced when we differntiate the steps somewhat. For instance, we usually: make a marked frappamento (tap or little stamp with the foot at the end of a double) in the first four doubles (where the group dances together), then keep the steps gentle and plain as the middle dancer advances and the others catch up, and again emphasise the jump in the saltarello as the dancers separate (doesn't need to be high, but get a rising-and-falling motion in the body, and move your leg or knee, to give a light, springy feel).

Figures:

We keep most of the dance linear. 

In the third time through the music, when the dancers approach one another with two singles and a double, they need to come quite close - almost into a line. The retreating double then doesn't take them too far apart. From this retreating double to the end of the dance, I treat it as three people in a triangle or circle. That mean everyone retreats from everyone else, and the ripresa right is around a circle, so rotates the whole set but keeps people facing each other. It's ok if the middle person ends up a bit closer to the first person they're going to circle with in the piva, of course. 

Repeating the dance:

Because the final figure is a hey, it's very easy to end back in a line facing either way. In a smaller space it's nice to do one time going one way, and the second time returning. That also swaps the roles of the outside people in the final hey, which is pleasing. 

 

 

 

 

Condensed version, for calling: 

I find that a sing-song approach to calling suits this dance well - I have a little patter that follows the music, and I tend to sing along with the notes. 

It can take some time to memorise, as the patterns seem arbitrary at first. It's worth attending closely to the music, as the phrasing gives the whole thing a bit more structure. 

  • All: double left - tap, double right - tap
  • turn with two doubles
  • Middle: single, single, double
  • Others: single, single, double / middle person turn (pick which you call - the double for the outer people or the turn)

 

  • All: saltarello away
  • mezavolta (slow)
  • ripresa left, ripresa right
  • turn around
  • four continenza (I often say "continenza" four times)

 

  • Approach: single, single, double
  • double back, turn around
  • ripresa right, riverenza to the ground
  • continenza four times

 

  • Piva: right hands, first person, four piva around
  • left hands, second person, four piva around
  • hey - eight pive
  • into line to start again
Music: 

This dance is quite flexible in the acceptable tempo - anything in the vicinity of quadernaria (i.e. moderate 4/4, at a walking or marching pace) will work nicely. 

Recordings:

Gaita,Whatsover ye Wyll

My go-to track for dancing and teaching. Twice through, easy to dance, lovely on the ears, clear differentiation of the piva section at the end. 

Les Haulz et Les Bas, Alta Danza

Great sound, entirely dance-able, but the hesitations at the phrase-beginnings (which sound great!) make this a harder track than Gaita's to learn to. Fabulous opportunities for performance with experienced dancers who know the piece well.