[SCA-Dance] Fw: being picky about Arbeau's double step

[Monica Hultin]

By the way, I second that the default go to sca-dance instead of the
individual.

In the SCA, I have generally learned doing the double as Step together step
together as shown in the video clip.

Another variation (Taught in an Early Music Workshop - non-SCA) step onto
the ball of your foot, bring you right foot keeping on the balls of you
feet, step to the left again on the ball, and the finally bring your right
foot over do the pieds joint coming down flat on your feet.  This works well
when going fast, and is sort of what I was doing naturally if dancing
quickly.

I've never done it as a grapevine.  Regional differences I guess.

Monika

-----Original Message-----
From: sca-dance-bounces at sca-dance.org
[mailto:sca-dance-bounces at sca-dance.org]On Behalf Of Mary Railing
Sent: October 23, 2008 10:16 PM
To: sca-dance at sca-dance.org
Subject: [SCA-Dance] Fw: being picky about Arbeau's double step

[Boy do I hate the way this list is set up.  Please-- can we have the
default be for replies to go to the list, not the individual?]


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Mary Railing <mrailing2 at yahoo.com>
To: Marianne Perdomo Machin <marianne at historiaviva.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 12:41:21 PM
Subject: Re: [SCA-Dance] being picky about Arbeau's double step


As far as I can tell, the "grapevine step" version of Arbeau's double is a
Scadianism.  I seem to remember Master Sion telling me that it was  the
result of Scadians trying to make sense of Mabel Dolmetch's description of
the bransle double in her book "Dances of England and France"..  I vaguely
remember her descriptions of steps in general being much more complex and
balletic than the original sources, but I don't have access to the book to
check exactly what she said about the bransle double. (Dolmetsch was an
early reconstructor of historical dances who freely interpreted her
sources.)  The fact that many folk dances use a step sequence like this to
travel sideways has probably reinforced the notion that this is an authentic
way to dance the bransle; however, Arbeau says nothing about stepping behind
the foot.  His description is like what you wrote for the LoC video.
Moreover, I can't think of any period pictures of people dancing that show a
 grapevine step.  (Having said this, someone will probably point one out!)
There are many pictures that show people turning their bodies so that they
are actually walking forwards or backwards while holding hands in a line,
rather than stepping sideways, but that is as close to a grapevine step as I
can recall seeing.

--Urraca



________________________________
From: Marianne Perdomo Machin <marianne at historiaviva.org>
To: SCA Dance <sca-dance at sca-dance.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:41:03 AM
Subject: [SCA-Dance] being picky about Arbeau's double step

Hello!

I was wondering about something a bit odd... the real "correct" way of
doing Arbeau's double step in branles.
The way I've been doing it for years is (for double left):

- take a step sideways with left foot
- place right foot close to and slightly behind left foot
- take a step sideways with left foot
- place right foot right by left foot

However, the LOC videos take a more conservative interpretation of
Arbeau's description:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/divideos.html#vc043

That is:

- take a step sideways with left foot
- place right foot close to left foot
- take a step sideways with left foot
- place right foot right by left foot

It's the second movement that is the problem: "pied approché"
Placing it behind only makes it seem more natural,but maybe that's
because I'm used to it...

Any idea what is correct and why?


Thanks!


Leonor, being picky...


________________________________________________________________
To send mail to the entire list, be sure sca-dance at sca-dance.org is listed
in the To line of any response.

To Unsubscribe send mail to: sca-dance-request at sca-dance.org
________________________________________________________________



________________________________________________________________
To send mail to the entire list, be sure sca-dance at sca-dance.org is listed
in the To line of any response.

To Unsubscribe send mail to: sca-dance-request at sca-dance.org
________________________________________________________________