Dancing for beginners - Anello
This series of blog posts is to act as a reminder to those who were at the class. Further questions can be directed to Elyna. Instead of referring to genders I will be speaking of Partner-A and Partner-B. If a man and a woman are dancing together, the man will be Partner-A and the woman Partner-B.
New steps for Italian dances:
- Saltarello (plural: saltarelli): starting either on the left or the right foot, very simply this is a double forward with a little hop at the end.
- Movimento (plural: movimenti): literal translation is “little movement”, we interpret this to be a quick up and down motion, so you rise on the balls of your feet and then down again quite swiftly. Depending on context it can be flirty, aggressive, peacockish, etc, as you wish.
- Piva (plural: pive): starting either on the left or the right foot, this is almost a very quick double, except you don’t close at the end, so a piva on the left is L, R, L, leaving a slight pause before starting the next. It’s about twice as fast as a normal double or saltarello.
- Reprisa (plural: reprise): starting either on the left or the right foot, in this period it is like a little sideways double, so it goes side-close-side-close.
- Riverenza (Italian for “reverence”): as mentioned at the end of the previous class post, the reverence motion is a quick forward and back movement of the left foot, followed by bending the knees to lower the still straight and upright torso, and then straightening back up.
- Contrapasso (plural: contrapassi): these are very loosely like fast doubles but only ever starting on the left, so the feet move: Left forward, Right forward, Left forward, Right closes behind and change your weight to the right foot so you can start on the left again.
This all takes the same time as a single piva so is quite quick.
In my classes, it is completely acceptable to substitute normal pive for contrapassi in this dance, especially if you are a beginner.
- Doppio (also. Passo doppio): this is the Italian for a double. It’s worth knowing the correct words.
- Sempio, plural sempii (also. Passo sempio, or just passo): a single. Unlike previous singles, it doesn’t include closing the other foot.
Anello:
- In this dance you need a partner, and then you need a second couple to dance with, as this is effectively a dance for four people.
- Both couples stand facing the same direction, with one couple behind the other. Both Partners-A will stand on the left of their Partner-B, and each separate couple holds hands to begin with.
- First part: Everyone does 8x saltarelli with the front couple leading the back couple around the room in whatever pattern they choose.
(In this dance, all groups of steps will start on the left, and alternate right and left thereafter.)
- During the last 2 of the above saltarelli, the front couple turn to face the back couple, who take tiny steps so as not to run into them. They achieve this by the Partner-A of the front couple moving backwards, with Partner-B of the front couple still moving forwards, so that they rotate around their held hands.
- From here on, Partners-A face each other and Partners-B face each other.
- Second Part:
- Partners-A do a movimento, then Partners-B do a movimento.
- Partners-A change places with 2 saltarelli, keeping left so the other person goes past their right shoulder, and turn to face each other when done.
- Partners B- do a movimento, then Partners-A do a movimento.
- Partners-B change places with 2 saltarelli, keeping left so the other person goes past their right shoulder, and turn to face each other when done.
- Third Part:
- Partners-A do a movimento, then Partners-B do a movimento.
- Partners-A turn on the spot, to their left.
- Partners-B do a movimento, then Partners-A do a movimento.
- Partners-B turn on the spot, to their left.
- Fourth Part:
- Partners-A use 4 pive to move behind their own partner, travelling halfway around the circle, and ending up where the other Partner-A was.
- Partners-B use 4 pive to move behind their own partner, travelling halfway around the circle, and ending up where the other Partner-B was.
- Last Part:
- Partners-A do a movimento, then Partners-B do a movimento.
- Partners-A do a movimento, then Partners-B do a movimento.
- Partners-A do a reprisa to the right to stand next to their partner, and take their hand.
- Everyone does a quick riverenza to their partner.
- Start again! To repeat, the front couple will have to do the little rotating pattern to get themselves facing forward again.
- On the next repeat, the Partners-B will start each pattern and the Partners-A copy them. Any further repeats, continue alternating which partner starts the patterns.
- This dance looks complicated, but if you learn each little portion as a separate lump it will be easier to manage. The music is very clear where the movimenti are, and once you know the tune it will help remind you which part you’re up to.
- If you want to practice at home this youtube video is very similar to the music I use at class: https://youtu.be/vcX8rrnVb5M
Music starts at 17 secs with a tiny intro, which is always nice so you can be ready to start moving with the actual tune. This version does 2 full repeats.
The dancers in the video are pretty much doing the dance the way we do, although they are having a bit of fun with what a movimento could be.
Any questions let me know.
~Elyna