[MR] Dance #2 - Do you Petit Riense? AKA, Petit Vriens

[Lady Alexandra Scott]

Good evening ~
 
How is your dance practice progressing?  Can you do the Washerwoman's Branle 
easily now?

Time for the next dance.  Let's try Petit Riense (Petit Vriens). Don't let the 
fancy name or step description deter you.  If you can gallop or skip, you can do 
this one easily. Watch the video (blurry, but effective) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntGpCuLR-sM&feature=related  and another group 
(SCA)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br6L19k0xAE.
 
Helpful hint:  Don't try to learn several dances in a day.  Listen to the music, 
practice the simple steps, retain the tune in your mind and dance around your 
house.  If your knees do not permit the turn, then "step in time."  Dancing 
should be fun!  All you Squires should brush up on your steps and invite your 
Knights to join you on the dance floor.  It's been known to happen.
 
The video clip shows a group of dancers enjoying the dance.  Imagine that you 
are at a dance and you find yourself having to share a partner.  At first, you 
all enjoy the dance (part A); each has an opportunity to dance for the others 
(part B); jealousy ensues (part C), then resolution (part D) and finally, all 
together once again (part E).   The first clip shows it as progressive dance, 
adding dancers to the floor 3 at a time, but all can dance at once as shoon in 
the 2nd clip.

MP3: http://ieee.uwaterloo.ca/praetzel/mp3-cd/joy_jeal/petit_v.mp3
Resource for more:  http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/Music/
Another Music PDF link:  http://members.cox.net/lejon/petit-vriens.pdf
 
Petit Riense (Petit Vriens)
Source: 15th century Italian; Joy and Jealousy 
Setting: 3 people in a line 
Version: 1.0 
 
A: (8 bars in piva (6/8), repeated twice.)
  1-8 (twice) 16 Pive, starting on left.
 
B: (4 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
 9-12 Man 1 4 Pive (starting left) to leave the group,
 9-12 Woman 4 Pive to catch up with Man 1,
 9-12 Man 2 4 Pive to catch up.
 
C: (2 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
13-14 Man 1 Doppio (starting left) to leave the group,
13-14 Woman doppio to catch up with Man 1,
13-14 Man 2 doppio to catch up.
 
D: (2 bars in piva (6/8), played 3 times.)
15-16 Man 1 and Woman take hands and reverenza right,
15-16 Woman and Man 2 take hands and reverenza right,
15-16 All 3 reverenza left.
 
E: (8 bars in piva (6/8).)
17-18 Doppio left backwards, moving away from each other,
19-20 doppio right forwards, moving towards each other,
21-22 Ripresa left and right
23-24 Voltatonda (on left, turning left).
 
Repeat dance. 

Disclaimer: a cheat sheet does not do justice to explaining how to properly do a 
15th century Italian dance. 


Discussion: 
This dance is quite easy to teach. It consists of an opening section, 3 solo 
sections, and a final part. It can be entertaining to do it on a densely-packed 
dance floor. 


Winter Solstice dancing is December 11!  
http://sites.google.com/site/sssolstice2010/

Come dance with us!
Alexandra
 
_________________________________

 
Alexandra Scott de Northumberland

Argent, a stag statant and on a chief azure an increscent between two mullets of 
six points Or

Haus Von Rothenburg
Aire Faucon, Sacred Stone, ATLANTIA