| Bassa Gioiosa by C. Negri, from La Gratie d'Amore, 1602 | |
| a ballo for two, side by side | |
| Reconstructed by Dafydd Cyhoeddwr | |
| Music: | Le Gratie d'Amore (1602), by the Ensemble La Folia |
| The boxes around the steps indicate musical phrases. | |
| Part 1 | |
| 8: | Riverenza grave (2 beats per motion) |
| 8: | Two continenze, left and right |
| 8: | Two passi puntati (4 beats per) forward, left and right |
| 8: | Two seguiti ordinarii (step step spez), starting left |
| 4: | Turn to face, take right hands, then do two seguiti spezzati, left and right to begin to change places |
| 4: | Complete the change with one seguito ordinario, left, and drop hands (remain facing) |
| 8: | Countercircle over the right shoulder with two seguiti ordinarii, starting right |
| 4: | Facing each other again, take left hands and do two seguiti spezzati, right and left, to begin to change back |
| 4: | Complete the change with one seguito ordinario, right, and drop hands (remain facing) |
| 8: | Countercircle over the left shoulder with two seguiti ordinarii, starting left |
| Part 2 | |
| 8: | Switch places (without hands) using two seguiti ordinarii, beginning left, turning to face each other at the end |
| 8: | Countercircle over the left shoulder with two seguiti ordinarii, beginning left |
| 8: | The man alone does two trabuchetti, right and left, a ripresa right, and a cadenza (hopping to the left) |
| 8: | The woman responds with the same figure - two trabs, ripresa, cadenza, starting right and alternating feet |
| 8: | Countercircle over the right shoulder with two seguiti spezzati and a seguito ordinario, starting right |
| 4: | Two passi gravi backwards, left and right |
| 4: | One ripresa, flankingly forward, left, and a cadenza (hop forward on the right). |
| 8: | Approach each other with two seguiti spezzati and a seguito ordinario, starting left, to end up side by side, facing forward, inside hands joined |
| 4: | Two passi gravi backwards, right and left |
| 4: | One ripresa, flankingly forward, right, and a cadenza (hop forward on the left) - then shift your weight to your right for the next section |
| Part 3 | |
| 8: | Two seguiti ordinarii, starting left, flankingly forward and at an angle to the right, then meza riverenza |
| 8: | Two seguiti ordinarii, starting left, flankingly forward and at an angle to the left, then turn to face |
| 4: | Exchange places with three quick passi, left, right, left, passing right shoulders, and pause on the last beat |
| 4: | Do three quick passi backwards, right, left, right, to exchange places back, and pause on the last beat |
| 8: | Both do two trabuchetti, left and right, a ripresa left, and a cadenza (hop on the right) |
| 4: | Exchange places passing right shoulders, beginning with two passi gravi, left and right |
| 4: | and complete it with one seguito ordinario, starting left, then turn to face |
| 4: | Two passi gravi backwards, right and left |
| 4: | One ripresa flankingly forward, right, and a cadenza (hop forward on your left) |
| 8: | Countercircle over your right shoulder with two seguiti spezzati and a seguito ordinario, starting right |
| 4: | Two passi gravi backwards, left and right |
| 4: | One ripresa flankingly forward, left, and a cadenza (hop forward on your right) |
| Part 4 (in galliard time) | |
| 6: | Exchange places passing right shoulders with two galliard steps, left and right, and then face |
| 6: | Countercircle over the right shoulder with two galliard steps, left and right |
| 6: | Exchange places passing left shoulders with two galliard steps, left and right, and then face |
| 6: | Countercircle over the left shoulder with two galliard steps, left and right |
| Note: This next section is an approximation to fit the above music, required because their otherwise perfect performance is marred by their not playing the entire written galliard section | |
| 12: | The man does four galliard steps, improvising the pattern so that he finishes facing the woman |
| 12: | The woman does four galliard steps, improvising her pattern so that she finishes standing next to her partner, who should turn to face in her direction - ending up proper and (optionally) holding inside hands |
| Note: The actual sequence of steps as indicated in the manuscript is forthcoming. | |
| Part 5 (back to the original music and tempo) | |
| 8: | Riverenza grave |
| 8: | Two continenze, left and right |
| 8: | Two passi puntati, on the left, forward, and on the right, backward |
| 4: | One seguito ordinario, left, flanking left |
| 4: | One seguito ordinario, right, flanking right (drop hands if they were held) |
| 4: | Face each other and do two trabuchetti, one on the left flankingly left and forward (toward each other), the other on the right back to place |
| 4: | Do one ripresa left, forward, flankingly left, and a cadenza (hopping back on the right) |
| 4: | Two two trabuchetti, one on the left flankingly right and forward, the other on the right back to place |
| 4: | Do one ripresa left, forward, flankingly right, and a cadenza (hopping back on the right) |
| 8: | Countercircle over the left shoulder with two seguiti ordinarii starting left |
| 8: | Countercircle over the right shoulder with two seguiti ordinarii starting left |
| Riverenza grave with joined hands to end the dance | |
| I would like to acknowledge the help provided to me by the article by Andrew Vorder Bruegge that appeared in volume 4 of the Letter of Dance, and which I found on the web at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/lod/vol4/bassa_gioiosa.html#f5. | |
| While I translated the facsimilie source myself, it took looking at Andrew's reconstruction to reconcile the one nagging issue that I couldn't fix (too many beats in part 3), not to mention numerous other minor issues, | |
| and without it I may well have never finished my reconstruction. | |
| Anyone comparing the reconstructions will certainly see how close they are, but also the minor differences, usually with positioning or feet. | |
| The one, perhaps major, difference is in the beginning of the last repeat of the music, halfway through part 5, where I have the couple face each other instead of remaining facing forward. | |
| The manuscript seems clear about how the trabs are flanking forward and back, and there is mention of turning the flank just after the ordinarii going forward. I feel that the resulting approach and retreat might add something to the dance, | |
| but if this has resulted from a complete mistranslation (it's happened before), then I'll happily re-reconstruct it and make any necessary (and/or suggested) changes. | |