Mercantia

(Merchandise)

Ballo

Guglielmo, De Pratica [Pg]

One couple followed by two men

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I	A1	1-6	Riverenza on right		Ballo called Mercantia by Master Domenico ¶ First do eleven tempi all four together, & the woman goes with one man, & the other two together: the woman should be with the couple in front & they stop.	Ballo chiamato Mercantia di Messer Domenico ¶ In prima faciano undici tempi quattro insieme, & vada la donna con un huomo, & gli altri doi insieme: ella donna sia nella coppia di sopra & fermansi.
		7-24	11 Saltarelli starting on left
	A2	1-24
	A3	1-24
	B1	1-12	2nd Man: 6 Riprese, all to the right while 3rd Man: 6 Riprese, all to the left (they are moving sideways away from each other)		Next the men at the back should separate with six riprese sideways, the one going to the left hand and the other to the right.	Apresso gli huomini che sonno di drieto si acolgano con sei riprese intraverso, l’uno se alargha a man sinestra ell’altro a mane dritte.
	B2	1-12
	C1	1-6	Woman: Doppio on left turning ½ left (moving to left to form triangle with 2nd, 3rd man)		Next the woman does a half turn to the left hand.	Apresso la donna dia meza volta dal lato mancho.
		7-24	1st Man: 3 Doppii starting on left (moving forward, remains facing away, perhaps distracted)		The man her partner goes forward with three doppii starting on the left foot, and the woman comes to remain with the other two men in a triangle.	ell’huomo suo compagno vada inanti con tre doppij cominciando dal pie sinistro, et la donna venga a rimanere cogli altri doi huomini in triangolo.
	D1	1-6	2nd Man: 2 Sempii starting on left (approaching woman)	(The 2nd man flirtatiously comes up to the woman to touch her hand; she demurely turns as he returns to place)	And next the man that is to the right departs with two sempii and	et apresso l’huomo che e a man dritta se parta con doi passi sempij &
		7-12	2nd Man: Doppio on left; Touch right hands with Woman		one doppio starting on the left foot, & comes to touch the hand of the woman,	un doppio cominciando col pie sinistro, & vada a tocchare la mano alla donna,
		13-18	Woman: Doppio on right, turning around while 2nd Man: 2 Sempii starting on right (returning to place)		and then turns to the right hand with two sempii &	et poi se volti a man dritta con doi sempij, &
		19-24	2nd Man: Doppio on right		a doppio, starting on the right, and returns to his place, where he was.	un doppio, cominciando col dritto, & ritorni al suo luogho, dove lui era.
	D2	1-24	Repeat D1 with 3rd man approaching Woman instead (she will turn the other way)		Next his partner that is to the left hand does the same. And note that the woman should do a volta tonda to turn, when the first man comes to touch her hand. And she should do this same to the second man.	Apresso il suo compagno che e a man sinistra faccia il simile. et nota che la donna vuole dare una volta tonda, quando il primo huomo gli a tocchato la mano. et cosi faccia quel medesmo al huomo secundo.
	E1	1-3	1st Man: Turn ½ to right (something’s happening back there!) while 2nd and 3rd Man: Take hands (nothing’s happening, we’re just dancing with each other)		Next the top man should do a half turn to the right side. & then the men at the bottom take hands and	Apresso quel huomo che e di sopra dia meza volta dal lato dritto. & poi gli huomini che sonno di sotto si piglino per la mano et
	F1	1-12	2nd and 3rd Man: Trade places with 2 Sempii and a Doppio starting on right		do two sempii & a doppio with the right foot in front, & change their places.	facciano doi sempij & un doppio col pie dritto inanti, & scambiasi le poste.
	G1	1-8	1st Man: Saltarello on left, right (returning to Woman)		Next that man which is at the top departs with two tempi of saltarello beginning with the left and finishing on the right. And he goes next to the woman.	apresso quel huomo che e di sopra si parta con doi tempi di saltarello cominciando col sinistro et finiendo dal dritto. et vadase apresso la donna.
	H1	1-3	Woman: Turn ½ to left (turning toward 1st man to face forward) while 1st Man: Riverenza on left (touching Woman’s hand)		And then the woman turns toward the man, and the man touches her hand with a reverence on the left.	et poi subito la donna se volti verso l’huomo, et l’huomo gli tocci la mano con una riverenza sul sinistro
	I1	1-12	1st Man: Sempii on right, left and Doppio on right (down to 2nd man’s current position)		And next the same man goes to the left hand of the woman. & he comes to take the man that is on the right hand with two singles and a double beginning on the right.	et apresso quel medesimo huomo vada da man sinistra della donna. & vada a pigliare l’huomo ch’e da man dritta con doi sempij & un doppio cominciando col dritto.
		13-24	2nd Man: Sempii on right, left and Doppio on right (moving up to become Woman’s partner)		And he who was on the left hand comes to take the woman with these same steps, and he remains with the woman. ¶	et quel ch’era a man sinistra vada a pigliare la donna con quelli medesmi passi, & rimanga lui colla donna. ¶

II			Repeat I with men in new positions

III			Repeat I with men in new positions; end in original positions

Reconstruction by Peter and Janelle Durham, based on that of Rosina del Bosco Chiaro. Text from Sparti transcription of Pg. Translation by Peter Durham.

Notes

Reconstruction. The Pa and NY sources make it clear that the initial steps are saltarelli. Thrice through A is time for 12 steps, but the dance only calls for 11 saltarelli. Sparti observes that of Domenico's and Guglielmo's dances that begin with saltarelli, all but one have an extra tempo. She suggests that the extra bar may be an introduction, allowing for a movimento to start the saltarelli. I suggest that the dancers do a Riverenza here.

Reconstruction. At D1 this source is a little ambiguous as to which man moves forward first, but other sources specify more clearly that it is the man at the woman's right hand, or the man to the left of his companion.