- Rostiboli for two and three
- Lavolta
- La Figlia de Guglielmino
- Presonera
- Chiara Stella
- Pungente Dardo
In a complete change of pace from the 15th-century Italian stuff we've been doing of late, I decided to try teaching La Volte (after a request for a class from a friend overseas). Ludwig and I used to teach and dance La Volte quite a lot, but we haven't done it for several years, so I went into the class with some trepidation. However, Ludwig and I could still remember how to dance it (more or less); and William and Caterine picked it up very quickly. A few more weeks of practice, and we'll be flying round the room!
La Volte is one of the trickier late-renaissance dances. It's a form of galliard, but it's unusual in the the couple stand very close together, in a much more intimate hold than is usual in renaissance dances, and the man spins the woman round while she leaps into the air. It's a lot of fun, but much better when you and your partner are reasonably well-matched physically (similar height, weight and sense of timing) and comfortable with one another. Done well, it looks spectacular!
After that, we had Amalie run us through La Figlia de Guglielmino, to make sure we're doing it the same way she and Thordis do (we are); then we revised Presonera (still full of contrapassi), Pungente Dardo (still pretty), and Chiara Stella (still fast).
The daily skipping appears to be working: Chiara Stella was hard on our calves but not on our lungs.