Basse Franzesse
a bassadanze for 2
Source: AW Smith (NYP), reconstructed by Dafydd Cyhoeddwr
Music: Alta Danza (no intro)
Starting position: side by side, holding hands (the dancers never separate by the instructions)
Section 1:
1&2 Riverentia to the ground
3 2 continentie, left and right
4 2 sempi, left and right
5-9 5 doppi, starting left
10 2 sempi, right and left
11-13 3 riprese francesi, right, left, right ("francesi" is not explained - how about nearly backward?)
Section 2:
14 2 continentie, left and right
15 2 sempi, left and right
16-18 3 doppi, left, right, left
19 2 sempi, right and left
20-22 3 riprese francesi, right, left, right
Section 3:
23 2 continentie, left and right
24 2 sempi, left and right
25 1 doppio, left
26-28 3 riprese francesi, right, left, right
Section 5:
29-36 8 saltarelli, starting left (do not separate)
Alta Danza music repeats
Note: Basse Franzesse means French Basse. If you look at the structure of the first three sections,
you may note the similarity to a Burgundian basse danse if you see the continentie as the bransle,
and the riprese francesi as the demarche (and I hadn't noticed the similarities of structure when I
wrote that perhaps they should be done backwards). Set up like this, you have a 5-3-1 basse danse
with some saltarelli tacked onto the end (I suppose that the Italians felt they were required).