Verçepe
Ballo
Domenico, De Arte [Pd]
Five dancers in single file
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IA11-2MovimentoBegin as line of M1 W1 M2 W2 M3Verçepe, a ballo that goes with three men and two women ¶ First goes a man in front of a woman behind then a man then a woman and then a man behindVerçepe abalo eua in homeni tri e doe done ¶ Mprima ua uno homo in anti una dona driedo poi uno homo poi una dona epoi uno homo dedriedo
3-8 11 Saltarelli, starting on right Saltarelli procession making 11 tempi of Saltarelli with a Movimento in the departure going all in a line in order spaced the one from the other by four steps then they stand all ¶ façando tienpi xi di saltarelo cun uno mouimento nel partire andagando tuti alafila per hordine largi luno da laltro per spathio de passi iiij poi se afermano tuti ¶
A21-8
A31-8
B11-4M2, M3: 2 Doppi on left, right (each circles 135° counter-clockwise around W before them, starting passing to right) M: circle W above, then W turnNow note that the man that is behind and that one that is in the middle both do together four and a half tempi of bassadanza in its measure, that is, two Doppi beginning from the left foot going before the woman who is in front, and by the right side of this said woman,Ora nota che lo homo che e dedriedo e quello che e in meço fano tuti dui in seme tienpi quatro e meço de basadança in soa mexura zoe dupii dui comencando dalpe sinistro andagando denanti uia aladonaa / che / iano denanti e|da lo lato drito de dita dona
5-8M2, M3: 2 Contrapassi on left (circling another 135°)and these two men make two Doppi on the left foot ande faciendo diti dui homeni dupij dui suxo elpe sinistro et
9-10M2, M3: Face the circled W, shifting weight to left; Ripresa right to place (completing a full circle)one Ripresa on the right foot, ending with the left foot returning to their initial place and stop.una reprexa su lo pede drito faciendo fine dal sinistro tornendo ne li luogi suoi de prima e afaremansse.
11-14Women: Volta del Gioioso (2 Steps right, left; Ripresa right turning 360° to left)then the women respond to them with two tempi of bassadanza, making a Voltatonda in their places with two Sempio steps and a Riprese starting with the right foot ¶poi le done gie risponde cun tienpi dui de basadança dagando una uolta tunda neli luogo suoi mediexemi cun pasi dui sienpij et una reprexa comencando cun lo pe drito ¶
B2Repeat B1 reversing genderW: circle M above, then all M turnNext note that both the women move with those same steps and manner that the said two men did, going forward by the first man and the one that stands in the middle that is the first woman forward by the first man and the second in front of the middle and the said women stop. then all three of the men respond to them making the same Voltatonda that the women did.Apreso nota che tute doe le done si se moveno cum quilli pasi medesimi e modi che feno diti dui homeni. andagando denanti uia alprimo homo et aquello che sta demeço çoe la prima dona denanti uia alprimo homo elassegunda denanti a quello de mezo e afernansse dite done. poi tuti tri li homeni ge rispundeno facando quella medesima uolta che feno le done ¶
C11-63 Contrapassi on left Contrapassi up and down the squareNow note that all the men and women move all in one instant all doing three Doppi in quadernaria measure on the left footOra nota che tuti li homeni e done se moueno tuti in uno instante facandi tuti dupij tri in mexura quadernaria suxo el pede sinistro
7-8Mezavolta left (2 Steps left, right turning 180° to left)making a Mezavolta to the left sidedagando meza uolta dalcanto sinistro
C21-8Repeat C1 returning to placereturning all back to their places with the said three Doppi and Mezavolta on the left foot and they stop ¶ritornando tuti in driedo ne le poste soe cun li ditti dupij tri emeza uolta su lo pede sinistro afermandosse ¶
D11-2M1: Mezavolta leftAgain, note that the man that is in front makes a Mezavolta to the left sideAncora nota che lo homo elqualle e denanti da una meza uolta so lo canto sinistro
E11-8M1, M3: 4 Saltarelli starting on left (weaving through others to trade places, passing to left, then right, then left); Face nearest WM1, M3: Saltarelli weave to trademaking four tempi of Saltarelli, doing a Salto from the start, going one tempo equal to the woman at his right hand, another tempo equal to the man that is in the middle at his left hand, and another tempo equal to the woman in the back at his right hand, and another tempoin the place of the man in the back doing a Mezavolta. Remember that this man when beginning these four tempi of Saltarelli must move with the left foot and finish with the right. ¶
Again, note that the man which is behind everyine in the instant that his companion in front takes that jump to take those four tempi of saltarello said above, he also moves, taking a jump in his place, doing four tempi of saltarello going to the place of his companion at the front and going in the first beat equal to the right hand of the woman and the second beat equal to the right hand of the man in the middle and the third beat qual to the left hand of the other woman, and the fourth beat is found in the place of his companion that was in front and both two stop. ¶
facando tienpi quatro di saltarelo levando uno salto ne lo principio dagando uno tenpo equalle ala dona ala soaman drita uno altro tenpo equalle alo homo che e in mezo ala soaman sinistra uno altro tenpo equalle ala dona de driedo alaman drita uno altro tenpo ne la posta de lo homo de driedo dagando meza uolta. Ricordandote che dito homo quando principia diti tienpi quatro di saltarelo se a amouere cun lo pede sinistro e fare fine cun lo dritto ¶
Ancora nota che lo homo elqualle e de drie da tuti inqllo instanti che elcunpagno so denanti piglia quello salto per pigliare quilli tienpi quatro di saltarello anteditti si moue anchora lui pigliando uno salto in lo luogo so facando tienpi quatro di saltarelo andagando ala posta del cunpagno denanti edagando el primo boto equalle ala man drita stanca de la dona e lo segundo boto equalle ala man dritta del hon de mezo elo terco botto equalle ala man sinistra delaltra dona e lo quarto botto se uene atrouare ne la posta del cunpagno suo che era in anti e afermanssse tuti dui ¶
F11-6Women: 3 Doppi starting on W1: right, W2: left circling clockwise to trade placesW1, W2: Doppi circle to tradeNow note that both two women move and do three Doppio steps of bassadanza going to each to the place of the other the woman in front beginning the said Doppi with the right foot going to the side of the right hand of the man that is in the middle, and the woman in the back begins the said Doppi with the left foot going to the side of the left hand of the man in the middle and both two women stop ¶Ora note che le done tute do se moueno e fano dupij tri de basadanza andagando ne le posta luna de laltra comencando la dona de nanti diti dupij cum lo pe drito andagando da lo lato de la man drita de lo homo che e in mezo E la don a de drie comenza cun lo pe sinistro ditti dupij eua dalcanto de la man sinistra de lo hom de mezo e afermansse tute doe ditte done ¶
G11-6M1, M3: 3 Saltarelli starting on right (circling to left around closest Woman)M1, M3: Saltarelli circle to placeNext, note that the first man and the one in the back move, doing three tempi of Saltarello around those they have near and returning these men to their position beginning the man in front with the right foot and going to the right hand of the woman and the man in back begins with the right foot and goes to the left side of the woman and they stop. ¶A presso nota che lo primo homo et quello de drieto se moueno façando tempi tri de saltarello intorno che hanno apresso y ritornando dicti homini ale loro poste comenzando lhomo denanti cum lo pe drito et andagando da la mano drita de la dona et lhomo de drieto comenza cum lo pe drito andagando dal canto sinistro de la done e fermase ¶
F21-6Repeat F1 (Women returning to initial places)W1, W2: Doppi circle to homeNote that both two of the women return to their exchanged places with the three Doppi said above, but the woman above must move with the right foot and the one below with the left in that manner and way that they moved the other time as said above. The said women stop. ¶ Nota che le done tutte doe tornano ale poste sue scambiate cum le dupij tri sopradicti / ma la dona di sopra se ha amouer cum lo pede drito / e quella de driedo cum lo sinistro per quello modo e uia che se mosono laltra uolta comoe dicto qui di sopra. Afernandose dicte done ¶
G21-6M2: 3 Saltarelli starting on left (circling to right around W2)M2: Saltarelli circle W2 to homeAgain note that that the man in the middle and has stopped does tree tempi of Saltarello taking a jump in the first beginning with the left foot going to the right side of the woman who he has in front and returning to his place ¶Ancora nota che lhomo che in mezo et ha posato fa tempi trii de saltarello pigliando uno salteto nel primo comenzando dal pe sinistro andagango daclado drito de la dona che lui ha denanti e riternando ne la posta sua ¶
H11-2Men: Movimento Mov, Mov, turnNow note that all three of the men make a MovimentoOr nota che tutti tri li homini fano uno mouimento
3-4Women: Movimentoand the women respond to them with anotherele done ge rispondeno como uno altro
5-8Men: Voltatonda left (3 Steps starting left turning 360° to left)then the men give a Voltatonda all three in Piva measure beginning on the left foot where this consists of three Sempio steps making the said turn in their same placepoi li homini dano una uolta tonde tutti tri in mexura de piua comenzando col pe sinistro donde li consiste passi tri sempii fazanda dicta uolta ne la posta sua medema
H21-8Repeat H1 reversing genderAnd then the women make a Movimento and all three of the men respond to them with another then the women do that same Voltatonda which the men did. End. §E poi le done fano uno mouimento e tutti tri le homini ge rispondeno con uno altro poi le done danno quella medema uolta tonda che deteno li homini fine ¶
 
IIOptionally repeat dance with M1 and M3 switchedBut note that the man that was in front at the beginning of said dance finds himself at the back in the end, and wanting to do more of the said dance, he remains behind.Ma nota che lhomo che era denanti nel principio de dicta danza se ritroua de drieto nel afine e uoghando fare piu dicta danza ua a rimanera de drieto ¶
 

Reconstruction by Peter Durham based significantly on that of Vivian Stephens in “Joy and Jealousy”. Transcribed from facsimile. Translation by Peter Durham.

Notes
Sources.  Verçepe appears in two sources: PnD (used above, by Domenico, c. 1455) and V (by Cornazano, c. 1465). Cornazano describes Verçepe as a “ballo quasi simile ad una scaramuccia” (a “ballo almost similar to a skirmish”).
Recordings.  This reconstruction is tweaked to match “To Celebrate a Prince” by Alta, formerly available from the Historical Dance Society.
Reconstruction.  I've followed the lead of Stephens here in treating multiple Doppi steps described as being on the same foot as Contrapassi.