THE STEPS OF THE DANCES OF THE 16TH CENTURY
CADENZA Landing step with both feet at the end of a jump or step sequence. It is performed with one foot slightly in advance of the other, bending the knees slightly. Both feet hit the ground at the same time, with the weight of the body equally distributed. If the left foot is behind, the next step will start on the left foot and the same goes for the right foot.
CONTINENZA Small lateral step that is often performed after the reverence, bringing the heel of the right foot next to the hollow of the left foot, raising the heels slightly and placing the feet on the ground.
DOUBLE STEPS Double steps performed consecutively on the same foot. The first double is left-right-left like a normal double and ends with a quick weight shift to the right foot as the next step will start on the left foot again.
DESTICE Two footpads followed by a trebuchet on the left. Together with the sapphice it is found in Nobiltà di Dame di Caroso.
FIORETTO A PIE’ PARI In an upright position, with legs extended, standing on the tip of the left foot at a hand's width, simultaneously kick the right foot to the side.
FIORETTO ORDINARIO Standing on the tip of the left foot, rotate the tip of the right foot behind the left, keeping the knees straight and remaining balanced for an instant on both toes. You kick your left foot out with a small jump forward onto your right foot and then fall onto your right foot with your knee slightly bent until you replace your left foot with your right.
GAGLIARDA There are many variations of the gagliarda step, a dance also called five steps. The simplest is to kick the left foot out, (the foot is relaxed, not pointed), kicking to the right, to the left and to the right again holding the foot in the air for one beat finishing with a cadence on both feet with the right foot back.
PAVANA The pavan step is performed by taking a step forward with the left foot, stopping by slowly bending the knees, almost hinting at a reverence, bringing the feet back together, lifting slightly and proceeding with the other foot to the with which the passage had concluded.
PASSO DOPPIO ALLA FRANCESE (Double french step) It is performed with a trabuchetto to the left, to the right and three small steps forward to bring the feet together.
PASSO DOPPIO ALL’ITALIANA (Double italian step) It is performed in four movements with three steps, starting with the left foot and then joining the right. Each time your feet come together, your knees rise slightly and fall again. This step occurs mostly in Caroso's dances from Nobiltà di Dame.
PASSO PUNTATO In two steps you advance with the left foot, touching the heel with the toes of the right foot and then placing it on the ground four or five toes away from the right foot. Then bring the right foot along the left. During execution, the heels both rise and lower while keeping the knees straight.
RIPRESA Lateral step on the left toe, in which the right foot is brought next to the left, rising on the toes, keeping both knees straight, and then lowering both heels. Filming can be done in pairs in the same direction or one in one direction and one in the other. When two shots in the same direction are followed by one or two trabuchetti, the first is always in the same direction as the shots.
RIPRESA MINIMA Minimal shots are performed in series, in a single direction. With your feet and knees straight, lift both heels, move to the left, and lower. At the end of a step, the feet are straight again. The body is upright, and the hips should not swing.
RIPRESA MINUTA Keeping your knees together, your body in a vertical position and your heels together, move the heel of your left foot and the toe of your right foot to the left at the same time. Then, keeping your knees together, move the toes of your left foot and the heel of your right foot to the left. The movement must be continuous and smooth, as if you were sliding on the floor. Each series of steps proceeds in one direction.
SAFFICE Underfoot followed by a trabuchetto to the left, followed by the same sequence to the right.
SALTINO A PIE’ PARI Single hop, performed with both feet and knees straight.
SCAMBIATA (Swap) Pushing the left foot in front of the right, place the heel in front of the toe of the right foot at a distance of half a palm's width. Keeping your left foot flat on the ground and your knees straight, place the toes of your right foot behind your left heel and switch foot positions.
SEGUITO FINTO Small step forward on the left toe, one step forward on the right toe, one step back with the sole of the left foot. Keeping your knees straight on the first two steps, bend your right knee on the third, leaving your right foot on the toe, as in an ordinary follow-through. The backward follow-through consists of a small step back on the right toe, a step back on the left toe, and a step forward on the flat right foot, bending the left knee.
SEGUITO ORDINARIO So called because it follows the natural movement of the feet. It is performed in three steps and in four beats: one step lifting on the left toe, one step towards the right toe, a flat step on the left foot bringing it next to the right toe, bending the right knee and leaving the right heel raised.
SEGUITO SCORSO It is an ordinary continuation performed in eight movements, with as many small fast steps.
SEGUITO SEMIDOPPIO It is performed in four movements starting with the left foot and taking two steps plus an ordinary follow-up.
SEGUITO SPEZZATO It is performed in two stages starting with the left foot and placing the palm of the right foot next to the heel of the left foot, keeping the right knee tense. During this movement the left foot does not touch the ground.
SOTTOPIEDE Rise up on the left toe, keeping the knee straight, and bring the right foot, crawling on the ground, under the left; replace the left foot with the right by kicking it without leaning.
STELLA Also called Hands Across, this figure consists of a turn between four dancers who extend their arm to the center forming an X.
TRABUCHETTO From the equal foot position, bring the right heel next to the left, with the toe upwards and slightly to the right. Knees should be kept straight. Lower the left heel slightly, preventing the right heel from touching the floor and perform the same movement with the other foot.
TRANGO It is performed starting with a step backwards, placing the left foot behind the right foot, which quickly gets up from the ground and swings backwards.