GLOSSARY OF DANCE STEPS

GLOSSARY OF DANCE STEPS

All the dances begin with the left foot – from the side which is “manco” (“empty, missing”) – which means with the side where the heart lies. The number and the placement of the dancers are based on numerology and on the astral constellations:

• SEMPIO (single): simple step;
• DOPPIO (“Double”): two simple steps; during the 1500, the “doppio” becomes “seguito” (“follow”);
• CONTINENZA (“Continence”): small weight shift, it remembers the pressure on the pedal of an organ;
• RIPRESA (“Recovery”): side weight shift; the “ripresa” can also be “in gallone“, which is in an oblique way, forward or backward;
• PIVA: double jumping step;
• SALTARELLO (“Little jump”): “all’italiana” (“at the italian way”), a simple step followed by a jump, or “tedesco”, or “todesco”, wich means “german”, a three steps sequence with a final “frappatura”;
• VOLTA (“Turn”): “tonda” (“round”), a turning around made with two simple steps, or “del gioioso” (“of the joyful one”), a turning around made without a support, or also “mezza volta” (“half turn”), to change the direction of the dance;
• RIVERENZA (“Reverence”): “grave”, to the ground, made by moving backward the left leg and supporting on the knee; “di passaggio” (“passing”) and “piccina” (“small”) or “breve” (“short”), with a lower intensity;
• FIORETTO: a small jump, alternating the right leg and the left one