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

Alex Clark alexbclark at pennswoods.net
Fri Oct 24 19:01:38 EDT 2008


At 10:30 AM 10/23/2008 +0100, Marianne Perdomo Machin wrote:
>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 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?

As far as Arbeau's instructions go, the correct way is to do the second 
step with the right foot slightly out to the side of the left foot (that 
is, with the feet slightly apart and otherwise side by side, not crossed in 
any way). Arbeau calls this "vn pied largy, quasi ioinct"; that is a foot 
placed out to the side from the other foot, but almost joined. He 
distinguished between the /pied largy/ and the /pied largy oblique/, so I 
assume that this description has little room for placing the feet with 
either one ahead of or behind the other.

I hope this helps to clear things up.

-- 
Henry of Maldon/Alex Clark



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