[SCA-Dance] Haut Barrois branle

[Mikuláš]

> This, together with his comments contrasting the saut with 
> movements/positions in which one or both feet are on the ground, makes 
> it clear that for Arbeau the most distinctive and definitive feature 
> of the saut is that both feet are off the ground. So, in the absence 
> of any indication that he meant something else about both feet, he 
> probably meant that both feet are simultaneously elevated. This also 
> suggests that on the notes where his tabulation calls for a "saut", 
> that is probably supposed to be a moment at which the feet are 
> elevated, not the moment at which they leave the ground.
>
> The original French also makes a closer connection between the landing 
> and the resulting position than the above translation does, giving 
> more emphasis to the role played in the landing by the specified foot 
> or feet. It seems to me that when it describes the landing position 
> with reference to one foot (i. e. "pied largi gauche"), it is 
> indicating that the landing is done *only* on that foot.
>
> My conclusion is that the original meaning was that the first three 
> steps of each double are done by springing off the ground and landing 
> on one foot, and the last by springing off the ground and landing on 
> both feet. For example, the left double goes:
>
> 1. Spring (off from both feet) with both feet off the ground, and land 
> on the left foot out to the side.
> 2. Spring (off from the left foot) with both feet off the ground, and 
> land on the right foot approaching the left foot.
> 3. Spring (off from the right foot) with both feet off the ground, and 
> land on the left foot out to the side.
> 4. Spring (off from the left foot) with both feet off the ground, and 
> land on both feet joined.
> (This is done with a net leftward motion on every step.)
>
> Put more simply, with less reference to Arbeau's terms and definitions:
>
> 1. Spring to left onto left foot.
> 2. Spring onto right foot near where the left foot was.
> 3. Spring to left onto left foot.
> 4. Spring onto both feet together.
>
> I hope that this has helped to shed some light on the problem.
>

Thanks,

I find this quite an interesting interpretation. I very much agree that 
both feet have to be off the ground when moving sideways with jumping step.
On the other hand personaly I still tend to believe, that when Arbeau 
says "tumbant sur pied largy gaulche", he wants you to land in the 
position of pieds largis - he defines them as "pieds largis, qui se font 
quand les deux pieds sont a terre, portans tous deux esgallement la 
pesanteur du corps" (rougly translated: they are made with both feet on 
the ground, taking both the same body weight). Pide gaulche largy is the 
very same term he uses in the tabulature describing the "ordinary" 
double in branle double. I hesitate to believe that this one was done 
with standing only on one foot most of the time - although it is not 
impossible.
I believe that to agree with landing on just one foot would mean to 
interpretate the position of "pieds largyz" differently in branle double 
nad branle du hault Barrois.

Hope it helps to bring in more confusion ;)

Mikulas