Signora Auretti's dans

Country: Sweden
Formation: Open circle of couples, holding inside hands, facing LOD, with weight on inside foot (MR/WL), touching outside foot. Note: when standing on inside foot and touching outside foot, couples face somewhat towards partner, and when standing on outside foot, touching inside foot, turn slightly away from partner.
Type: set dance
Steps:

Minuet step I: 3 walking steps (with or without lift) (1:1-3), touch free foot and pause (2:1-3).
Minuet step II:
To right: sidestep R with R foot (1:1), L toes behind R heel, with dip on R (1:2), transfer weight to L foot (1:3), sidestep R (2:1), touch L foot crossed in front of R, knee and ankle straight (2:2) and pause (2:3).
To left: as to R, with opposite footwork.
Walk
Note: when in a pause weight is on outside (ML/WR) foot, partners should be turned slightly towards each other; when in a pause weight is on inside (MR/WL) foot, partners should be turned slightly away from each other;

Holds: holding inside hands, holding R or L hands (at chin level), and high varsouviene hold
Sheet music: 'menuet' comp. by Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783) or any minuet with appropriate structure and tempo.

Bars	Sequence	Dance progression
21-22	Intro	Couples wait.
1-2	(1)	Holding inside hands, and beginning with outside foot, dance minuet step I.`
3-6		Repeat minuet step I twice, beginning alternately with inside and outside foot.`
7-8		With 3 steps in place, couples turn towards partner and curtsey/bow.`
1	(2)	Holding R in R hand, couples step towards partner with R foot, touch L foot to R heel, and lift.
2		Couples step away from partner with L foot, and touch R. Maintaining handhold.
3-4		Maintaining handhold, couples change places, with minuet step I beginning with R foot, turning 1/2 turn CW.
5-8		Taking L hand in L, couples repeat (2), opposite footwork, and turning 1/2 turn CCW.
9-10	(3)	Holding inside hands, couples step backwards on outside foot, turning back to back with partner, and stretching joined arms forward and touching inside foot (9). Step backwards again on inside foot, turning to face partner, joined arms stretched backwards, and touching outside foot (1).
11-12		Repeat steps backward (bars 9-10).
13-14		Moving in LOD, M dances minuet step I, beginning with R foot, to R [behind partner], and bows slightly to partner. Meanwhile, W dances minuet step I beginning with L foot and moving to L, glancing at partner over her R shoulder.
15-16, 9-12		Repeat bars 13-14 three times, beginning alternately with ML/WR, MR/WL, and ML/WR foot. M remains behind partner, alternating between partner's R and L side.
13-14	(4)	Dropping handhold, M moves toward centre of circle with minuet step I beginning with R foot. Meanwhile, W moves out of circle with 1 minuet step I beginning with L foot.
15-16		M continues towards centre of circle with minuet step I beginning with L foot, and turning CCW to bow to partner. Meanwhile, W continues out of circle with minuet step I, turning CW to curtsey to partner.
17-20		M and W dance 2 minuet step Is towards partner and finish with curtsey/bow.
21-22	(5)	Facing partner, M and W dance minuet step II to R.
17-18		M and W dance minuet step II to L.
19-22		M and W dance 2 minuet step IIs to R and then to L.
1-8	(6)	Holding inside hands, couples dance 3 minuet step Is, beginning with outside foot (1-6). Couples dance a fourth minuet step I, turning towards partner, dropping handhold, and curtsey/bow (7-8).

See YouTube video. [No longer available, 2022-01-12]

Source: taught by Vera & Gunnar Simonsson, Gothenburg.
Printed sources:
-- Sjöberg, Henry/ Folklig dans 2. 1600-1700-talens dansformer. s.l.: Brevskolan, 1974
-- Herrskapsdanser från 1700- och 1800-talen, del 1. [Skövde]: Folkdansringen Västergötland, 2005. pp. 18-19.
-- Signora Auretti's dans [Acla]

Translation: L. Ruus, Oakville ON, 2017-11-10, rev. 2022-01-12.

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