The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169519   Message #4097138
Posted By: Gordon Jackson
11-Mar-21 - 11:06 AM
Thread Name: Elizabethan Dance in film about Queen
Subject: RE: Elizabethan Dance in film about Queen
This, from orchespgraphy, is priceless:

ARBEAU

The lavolta remains uniform in all its parts, the same at the outset as at the end. When you wish to turn release the damsel’s left hand and throw your left arm around her, grasping and holding her firmly by the waist above the right hip with your left hand. At the same moment place your right hand below her busk to help her leap when you push her forward with your left thigh. She, for her part, will place her right hand on your back or collar and her left hand on her thigh to hold her petticoat and dress in place, lest the swirling air should catch them and reveal her chemise or bare thigh. This done, you will perform the turns of the lavolta together as described above. And after having spun round for as many cadences as you wish return the damsel to her place, when, however brave a face she shows, she will feel her brain reeling and her head full of dizzy whirlings; and you yourself will be no better off. I leave it to you to judge whether it is a becoming thing for a young girl to take long strides and separations of the legs, and whether in this lavolta both honour and health are not involved and at stake. I have already given you my opinion.

CAPRIOL

The dizziness and whirling head would annoy me.