Classes

There are 43 classes.

15th - 16th Century Basse Dance (the long way around)

Reconstruction of Arbeau's basse dance 'Jouissance vous donnerai', making a case for step reconstructions by going back to 15th C Burgundian Basse Dance and tracing possible similarities and connections with 15th C Italian Bassadanza, and later 16th C Italian dance. The four dances taught are intended to be illustrative of how steps may have changed over this time period. Dances included: Basse La Dame, Basse La Francois Nouvelle, a 15thC Italian Bassadanza, a 16th C Italian dance, and Jouissance vous donnerai

15th Century Italian

  • Isabel D Triana
  • MGH Commons on Saturday at 2:50PM to 3:30PM

Dances included: Amoroso and Rostiboli Gioioso

16th Century Italian

Dances included: Ballo del Fiore and La Castellana

Band: Burgundian, Arbeau, Almans

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the evening dance. Recorders will be the predominant instruments for this group of dances.

Band: Early Italian

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the evening dance. Shawms will be the predominant instruments for this group of dances. Dances included: Gioioso in tre, Bell Fiore, Leoncello Vecchio, Lauro, Petit Riense

Band: English Country Dances

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the evening dance. A mixed set of instruments will be used for this group of dances. Dances included: An Old Man is a Bed Full of Bones, Mill-field, Heart's Ease, Rufty Tufty, Gathering Peas

Band: Late Italian

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the evening dance. Recorders and strings will be the predominant instruments for this group of dances. Dances included: Contrapasso in Due, Gracca Amorosa, Ballo del Fiore for 3, Lord of Carnarvan's Jegg

Band: Saturday Set 1

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the Saturday evening dance. Dances included: Pavan, Galliard, Pease Branle, Horses Branle, Washerwomen's Branle, Hermits Branle

Band: Saturday Set 2

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the Saturday evening dance. Dances included: Cassandra, Pinagay, Charlotte, War, Amoroso, Rostiboli Gioisio, Aridan, Queens Alman, Black Alman

Band: Saturday Set 3

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the Saturday evening dance. Dances included: La Francoise Nouvelle, Ly Bens Distonys, Pernes en Gre, Ballo del Fiore, La Castellana, Il Canario

Band: Saturday Set 4

This time and space is set aside for musicians to practice for the Saturday evening dance. Dances included: Upon a Summer's Day, Jenny Pluck Pears, If all the World Were Paper, Newcastle, Old Mole, Whirligig

Basic Galliards from Arbeau

A class going over some of the basic galliards described in Arbeau, such as the pieds croises, travelling step, ruade croise, and others. More if time permits! Dances included: Pieds croises, travelling step, ruade croise, and others

Branles

Dances included: Pease, Horses, Washerwomen, and Hermits Branles

Celeste Giglio

Come and learn this beautiful balletto for one couple from M.F. Caroso’s Nobiltà di Dame, 1600. One of the more complex dances in the repertoire, this choreography contains a variety of virtuoso passages sure to dazzle the audience. The dance commences with an introductory passeggio, followed by a gagliarda, saltarello and canario

Dance Videos

Rest your feet while you preview a variety of instructional historical dance videos to see which you might want to add to your collection.

Dancer challenge

So you think you can dance? Come see if you're up to the challenge of adapting to changes in the music.

Dances by Request

You traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles to KWDS so you could learn a specific dance, and now the event is almost over, and you haven't learned it yet. This is your last chance!

English Country Dance

Dances included: Jenny Pluck Pears and Upon a Summer's Day

English Court Masque

As opposed to social dancing, dance performance at SCA events sometimes seems like it doesn't really fit in. A late Elizabethan or early Stuart masque is a dance performance (among other things) that fits in really well with a late period high court event, though it is a rather alien art form for a modern audience. This session will explain what a masque is, describe Carolingia's recent production of The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses, and talk about how you might do a masque of your own.

Fifteenth-Century, North of Italy

Burgundian bassedanses are easy dances that ought to be better known in the SCA than they are. We'll go though Le Moi de Mai, La Danse de Cleves, Beaulte de Castille, and Mara's crackpot theories about their esthetics and tempo.

Four-couple English Country Dances

Three (or more) four-couple 1st Edition ECDs that don't get much floor time, at least where I live. Dances included: Aye Me (the Symphony), Lord of Caernarvon's Jig, and Prince Rupert's March

Fun for 4 Couples with 1st Playford

We will be teaching some of our favourite four couple English Country dances from First Playford (1651). This session, open to all levels, is aimed at intermediate dancers who want to learn a few more intricate dances. Dance flow and enjoyment will be the focus of the session. Dances included: Spanish Jepsies, Dargason and Double Dargason, If All The World Were Paper, New Castle, Faine I Would If I Could

Gresley Manuscript Dances

An exploration of possible reconstructions of the Gresley Manuscript Dances. In this class we begin with a 20-minute video of selected dances performed at Haddon Hall, music by Bedford Waits, commentary by Dr. Jennifer Nevile & Dr. David Fallows, and a brief summary of what is known about the manuscript; next, we will practice the steps and perform at least 2 of the dances, more as time permits. Dances included: Pernes en Gre, Ly Bens Distonys, and Talbott

How to teach anything

This class is aimed at helping you to improve your teaching by using a variety of adult learning concepts and learner-centered teaching techniques to make your teaching fun, engaging, informative, easily understood, and memorable. The class is appropriate for brand new teachers, and dancemasters who have taught for years. Concepts taught will help you to teach anything better! (Whether it’s renaissance dance, or presentations at work). (note: if you attended this class at KWDS in Lochac, this session will continue with all the information we didn’t get to that day!)

Il Canario

A 2 hour intensive Il Canario class, based on the work of Livio Lupi da Caravaggio. It will be about building an improvised Il Canario from the basic structure up to a full improvisation, including reconstruction time and dancing time. For experienced dancers only, and space is limited; please sign up at the beginning of the event. You should be relatively fit to attempt this; if you can't do most 16th C Italian dance steps quickly and easily this won't be for you.

Improvisation Principles for Dancing

A group discussion of what to do with a galliard (or other improvised dance) once you've learned some steps for it.

Interesting English Country Dances

A music Laurel made me do it! Having been asked to help select songs for a CD of English Country Dance music, I was reminded of all the dances with fun figures and interesting choruses that we seldom dance in An Tir. I've selected several of my favorites, all from Playford's 1st edition (circa1651). Beginning with a brief overview of source and social context, the intended focus of this class is more on learning specific dances than theory. Dances included: Row Well Ye Marriners, Millisons Jegg, Old Mole, The Whirligig, Saint Martins, Dull Sir John

Interestingly weird 3-couple English Country Dance

Learn three out-of-the-ordinary 1st Edition ECDs for three couples, each of which has a quirk that sets it apart from the run-of-the-mill English Country Dance. Dances included: The Whish. Kemp's Jegg, and Greenwood

Intermediate 15th century Italian dances with drama

Come learn Mercanzia and Sobria, two 15th century Italian dances full of drama as only the Italians can do, with flirting, indignation, and faithfulness. A familiarity with the steps is preferred. Dances included: Mercanzia and Sobria

Introducing 16th Century Italian Steps

Commonly used late Italian dance steps and figures explained, using Contrapasso in Due (a walking dance) and Gracca Amorosa (a bouncy dance) as examples.

Introduction to Dance Sources

Where do the historical dances we enjoy come from? Come for an orientation to the period books and manuscripts that are our sources. Discover how completely (or incompletely) they describe the dances, and what additional material they contain.

Mixed Bransles of the Champagne Suite

Bransles are some of the fairly simple dances we do in the SCA, and are an excellent introduction to proper styles of period dance (France, 1589). However, the real fun begins once they are danced together in a suite! This class will run through 5 bransles commonly danced together (Cassandra, Pinagay, Charlottle, War, Aridan), and some tips and pointers on how to play this game with musicians, and how to keep up. Dances included: Cassandra, Pinagay, Charlotte, War, Aridan

Old Measures

Dances included: Queen's Alman and Black Alman

Ornamenting Dance (and Other) Music

  • John Elys
  • Meany 267 on Saturday at 10:00AM to 11:20AM

A hands-on workshop on period techniques for ornamenting a simple melody. We'll concentrate on dance music (e.g. Arbeau, Playford, basse dance) but techniques are applicable to other forms too. Bring a melody instrument you play fluently.

Pavan & Galliard

Dances included: Improvised pavan and galliard

Playing for dancing

This hands-on class for musicians and dance band leaders includes an overview of historical performance practice as well as offer practical solutions to common problems we face when playing for dancing. Some things we may cover include pre-1600 instruments, instrumentation, percussion patterns, music sources, and other accessible resources. Participants are encouraged to bring period instruments, both loud and soft and a music stand. Music will be provided.

Reconstruction Techniques for Dance

This class covers reconstructing - taking period dances and turning them into something performable. Our goal to make an easy step-by-step process. We’ll look at facsimiles and translations and apply them to the dances of Renaissance Europe. You’ll learn to research but also walk away a better dancer and teacher.

Santucci: A New Source (1614)

New Renaissance dance sources are rare, so the discovery of a manuscript of Italian dance dated 1614 is a significant find. This class will mostly cover what's similar and what's different compared to the well-known 16th century books by Caroso and Negri.

Short Survey of Welsh Dance

Will discuss background material from sources 12th-18th c.. Will also teach some probable Welsh dances from the SCA period, comparing with the same dances in modern Welsh country dance choreographies. Beginning-level; of interest to researchers in particular categories & to people creating Welsh personas. Dances included: Lord of Carnarvan’s Jegg and Bishop of Bangor’s Jigg

Some of the variations on the as-many-as-will ECDs

I'll teach four dances listed as 'for as many as will' (though most really aren't) that each have a very different take on the type.

The Volta

The Volta is a galliard variation in which the gentleman assists his partner to leap into the air while turning. It does not require Herculean strength from the gentleman - the lady supplies much of the lift, sometimes all of it. Reconstruction derives from the work of Dr. Ingrid Brainard and Sir Patri du Chat Gris. Energetic, ladies may wish to wear a corset or sports bra; will be easier for people who are already comfortable with basic galliard steps.

Three Basse Dances from Fifteenth Century Burgundy - or What Else Did They Do Besides Dance de Cleve

This style of dance consists of only five types of steps. The first dance is simple, the other two are of only moderate complexity. Handouts will be provided. If you can walk and count to five, you can do this style of dance... Dances included: Le moys de may, Castille la nouvelle, and La franchoise nouvelle

Triple Terpsichore - Dances for 3

What do you do when only 3 people show up at dance practice? This class focuses on dances for three, and is intended to go beyond mere steps to explore dynamics and subtleties of 'style'. Dances taught will include primarily 15th and16th C Italian.