This dance is for three couples arranged longways (i.e. one behind the other).
| Measures | Steps |
|---|---|
| Quadernaria time – 4 beats per measure | |
| 8 | 8 saltarelli forward, alternating left and right. |
| 2 | Man 1 does 3 contrapassi (starting on the left foot) around in front of Woman 1 to end with a riverenza to Woman 2. |
| 1 | Man 2 does a saltarello forward to stand next to Woman 1. |
| 2 | Man 1 does 3 more contrapassi (starting on the left foot) around in front of Woman 2 to end with a riverenza to Woman 3. |
| 1 | Man 3 does a saltarello forward to stand next to Woman 2. |
| 1 | Man 1 does a saltarello around behind Woman 3 to end next to her. |
| 4 | In their new couples, everyone does 8 pive forward, alternating left and right. |
| 1 | Couple 1 does a voltatonda to the outside (Man 1 turning to the left, Woman 1 turning to the right), ending facing each other. |
| 1 | Couple 2 does the same. |
| 1 | Couple 3 does the same. |
| Piva time – 2 beats per measure | |
| 3 | All take right hands with your partner and circle with three sempii (left, right, left). |
| 3 | Take left hands cand circle back with 3 sempii (right, left, right). |
| Take normal hands and face forward. The dance repeats twice more, with each man taking a turn in the active role. | |
Step Descriptions
Saltarello (pl. saltarelli)
The saltarello is a double with a hop at the end. So a “saltarello left” goes “left, right, left, hop” and a “saltarello right” goes “right, left, right, hop”.
Contrapasso (pl. contrapassi)
This is very much like a double, except that there is another step instead of a pause at the end. So a “contrapasso left” goes “left, right, left, right”. Contrapassi usually come several at a time, and each one will start on the same foot. A series of contrapassi is essentially a single long string of steps. In this dance the contrapassi are danced in double time.
Piva (pl. pive)
The piva is a quick, syncopated double. The second step is shorter than the other two, coming up next to or just ahead of the lead foot. This results in a skipping (or step-ball-change) sort of step. Staying on the balls of your feet will help keep your steps light and fast. In this dance the pive are done in quadernaria time (4 beats per measure), so two pive are done in each measure of music.
Sempio (pl. sempii)
This is a single step, as seen in bransles, almans, and elsewhere. In this dance, the Sempii are done in piva time (2 beats per measure), and each sempio takes a whole measure of music.
Voltatonda
This is a turn all the way around with a double. A “volatonda left” starts with the left foot and goes counterclockwise over the left shoulder, while a “voltatonda right” does the opposite.