[Cynnabar Dance] Fwd: What WAS the name of that Italian?

[Aaron Elkiss]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Subject: What WAS the name of that Italian?
To: dancing-owner at cynnabar.org


There was an Italian dance I learned somewhat at a Terpsichore, and
that I've been dragged into a couple of other times elsewhere, so I
thought it might be popular enough to be worth learning.

And because I've been dragged into it with "oh, you'll pick it up as
we dance", but I didn't -- I ended up looking like a beached walrus on
electroshock [1][2] -- means that I have a serious grudge against this
dance and want to prevent that from EVER happening again.

But the only part I remember clearly is that the chorus has the
partners angling back from each other with a couple of spezzati
(or the like) and then meeting again, and that again, but I'm told
that that's like saying "that dance in Playford that has haying in
it".  "It had a men's solo and then a women's solo" is like "the
Playford dance where people move".  I think it may have five verses,
but ditto.  I've danced it only in a line of men facing a line of
women, but I'm told that was probably a concession to limited space
and/or helping an instructor see what was happening; it is probably a
couple dance.

Anyone have any notions as to what dance I might be thinking of, or
have a list of some dances taught last year?  The book just happened
now to open to Gracca Amorosa, and that's looking very familiar (as
opposed to other notions of Spagnoletta Regolata or Fiamma d'Amore).

Reading this, you might think that it's a supremely silly question: if
I know that little, I might as well point at any dance in the book and
I'm near Square One with any of them.  Perhaps so, but it's hammered
me twice, and since I see little Italian other than the Big Four [4],
it might not be unpopular (by SCA Italian standards).

Daniel "ork ork spasm spasm" de Lincoln


[1] Chuck Cohen (Midair) asks "Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh,
mi-kal ha-leylot?"  [3]

[2] Meaning no offence to anyone going thru electro-convulsive
therapy, or friends of pinnipeds.

[3] I'd say "JFGI" [3], but Google doesn't find It at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Nishtana>.

[4] Your Mileage May Vary, but the only ones I usually see are
Petit Vriens, Amoroso, Rostiboli, Gelosia, and that's in steep
descending frequency.

[5] This footnote has no referents.  [6]

--
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com