University of Atlantia

Or, How to Sing Along on the Wrong Note and Make It Sound Medieval! If you like to sing in the SCA and attend a lot of bardic circles, you’ve probably wondered how people figure out complex-sounding harmony lines seemingly on-the-fly. Understanding some of the basic music theory behind harmony is helpful in learning to think harmonically, making your harmonies sound medieval, and perhaps more importantly, making them sound GOOD. There will be some singing in class; feel free not to sing if you don’t feel ready. You’ll leave the class understanding more about what you hear around the bardic circle.

This class will give you practical tools for embellishing late period renaissance dance music. We will look at some sources for period appropriate embellishments and will write out embellishments for music that will be in the balls. Participants should be able to play Gracca Amorosa and Bizzaria d'Amore fluently.

This is a good chance to practice your technique on the five most basic steps of 16th Century Italian Dance you warm up with the dance Villanella (Caroso), and then explore how these steps fit the descriptions given by Arbeau for Jouyssance vous Donneray. Note that this class has been taught at a previous KWDS.

This is an easy, fun, flirty, bouncy, 16th Century Italian dance. No experience necessary, but it is a long, high-energy dance, so we will devote a whole hour to learning it slowly.

So are many other letters, but this class covers 2 cascarde starting with F, Fiamma d’Amore and Florido Giglio, from Caroso, Il Ballarino (1581). Fiamma is an adorable flirty dance that is also a great introduction to cascarde, being reasonably short and repetitive, but containing many common step sequences. It is a good warm up for Florido, which has many fun and interesting figures and works well not only as a social dance, but as a showy performance piece.

So you've performed "Petit Riens" thousands of times, but have you ever thought about ways to make easy, popular dances more theatrical and interesting? Join Lady Avelina Del Dolce who will share her experiences incorporating SCA dance in commedia, theater, and festivals. The class will include a hands-on workshop where students will pick a dance and perform it with theatrical flair.

Basic English Country dance steps will be taught. Dances will depend upon how many are in the class. Possibly Black Nag, Heartsease, Rufty Tufty, or Gathering Peascods.

The music class will involve musicians to take their hand at coming up with on the spot melodies to support an impromptu Galliard and the like. Being well versed on your melody and percussive instrument is a must.

This will be a workshop in reading and transcribing Gresley from a facsimile of the original. Since the Gresley MS was handwritten about 500 years ago, this will be covering handwriting (paleography), the use of abbreviations and other elements of scribal practice, and early modern spelling. No reconstruction experience is required, but be prepared to squint and discuss a lot.

For those who have some orientation to Arbeau's branles, we'll be going over as much information about as many branles as we can get to in one hour.

Children absolutely love to dance and many of the dances in the SCA easily get children moving and having fun! Join Lady Avelina del Dolce, mundanely a second grade teacher, for her "dance of the month" suggestions and tips on how to make dances enjoyable for children.

Learn the process of starting with a Trouvere manuscript and transcribing both musical notation and text into a performance. Class will discuss musical notation, rhythmic decisions, and assigning text to music, as well as determining pronunciation of Old/Middle French. Knowledge of modern music theory required (competence in writing modern notation).

An hour of crumhorn playing! All soft wind cap instruments (cornemuses, kelhorns, etc.) are welcome. Repertoire will be determined by the level of the attendees. Some instruments will be available to borrow for those with prior recorder experience.

This class will be both lecture and applied performance of the different appropriate percussion instruments in support of European Dance.

Sources for developing historically-informed performances of oral epics - Beowulf, Roland, El Cid and more. Guidance for staging these performances in an SCA context.

While it may not be codified in the dance manuals, many Italian dances "tell stories." It can be easier to memorize the progression of verses when you can remember how the story goes, if you are new to Italian dancing. It can add a whole layer of fun for those who have danced them many times before. We will dance Belfiore and Gioioso in Tre, and will add others if time allows.

This manuscript provides a unique view into the evolution of English Country Dance. We will learn his version of Heartsease, Cuckolds All in a Row, Jack Pudding, and Milking Payle. Lovelace provides critical clues for some of these dances that significantly alter the choreography from the version in Playford's first edition. He also provides a window into how these dances evolved and what the simpler sources of this style might have been.

The Il Papa Manuscript is an early Cinquecento manuscript exhibiting some transitional characteristics between the Ebreo and Caroso repertoires. Come join us as we learn two or three of its fifteen dances.

A beautifully balanced dance from Caroso's Nobilta di Dame, Contentezza dAmore is an intermediate level dance with a lovely pattern.

Come learn about Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594), one of the most prolific sacred and secular choral composers of the Renaissance, writing in every major language and every major style--music that choirs from high schools to professional sing all the time today. Students will listen to/sing some of his music.

Fabritio Caroso's Allegrezzas. The first Allegrezza from Il Ballarino(1581) is the kinder, gentler of these two cascarde. By Nobilta,where we find the second Allegrezza, Caroso has made a dance that tangles the feet and the memory. We will discuss and teach both of these dances with the hope to achieve a grand finale by doing both at the same time at the end of the second hour.

Prigionera is an Italian Ballo for two by Domenico, with a great variety of rhythms. Spero is a Ballo for three by Guglielmo, fun & lively. Style as well as steps will be considered.

Le Bellezze d'Olimpia is an Italian Balletto for two, from Caroso's Il Ballarino. It includes a cheeky chase section, repeated as a chorus. Lo Spagnoletto is an Italian Balletto for four, from Negri's Le Gratie d'Amore, an easy and fun dance. Style as well as steps will be considered.

There are many period dances that didn't have partners, but sets of three or even five people! We will do some of these including New Year (England c.1500), Belfiore (Italy 1450), Petit Reins (Italy 1475), and some partner-less branles (France 1589). Steps will be taught, but this is not recommended as a beginner's first-ever dance class.

This class will cover the structures that function in creating the human voice as well as how they work together to produce sound. We will examine these structures with particular emphasis on how to create resonance to aid in projection. This class is appropriate for singers and voice heralds alike. This class will be followed with "A Master Class: Focusing on Proper Support for the Voice". Either, or, or both may be attended.

Several 14th-16th C Italian works of literature survive which contain descriptions of music performances. We'll read through some of the surviving music mentioned in these works and compare what we do to how the authors describe the musical performances. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome.

Have you ever wanted to choreograph a dance? Together we're going to make that happen! Come help us create a brand new dance for the SCA. Music for the dance will be created in the Composition by Committee class.

This class will teach two balletti from Il Ballarino (1581) by Fabrito Caroso, Gratia d'Amore and Contentezza d'Amore. These dances start out pavan-like, but have a faster section at the end.

Come learn Jack O'Lent, a fun, complex, and decidedly non-typical English Country dance for sets of three couples! We'll add Stingo, which is a little more typical, but only so much so with a crazy fun last verse, if time allows. Both reconstructions are from the Shire of Crosston in the West Kingdom.

Come and learn some basic fast and slow tribal belly dance moves to use by yourself or in a group. These are improv moves with no set choreography. Let the music tell you what to do. No experience necessary. Wear comfortable clothing - shoes are optional.

This class will teach three of the graceful Burgundian dances: Alenchon (couples), Franchoise Nouvelle (couples), and Beaulte de Castille (groups of 5). The reconstructions are based on Russell Almond’s Basse Dance Project (http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/almond/basse/index.html) and the work of Ingrid G. Brainard.

This class will explore the various forms of Arabic music that originated in Al Andalus (Moorish Spain) and then dispersed throughout North Africa and the Near East after the Reconquista. We will survey the different schools and styles of music, listening to audio samples of each, and learn about the instruments used and some of the rhythms and modes they employed. Time and interest permitting, we will also learn to play some pieces of music.

We'll be discussing ways of getting a good sound out of random assemblages of musicians, such as you would find in a pickup band. I'll be providing tips on arranging, assigning parts, improvisation, utilising/integrating different skill levels, and generally making anyone who shows up to play useful, nay- valuable! Random musicians, instruments and skill levels are welcome, especially for demonstration purposes.

Basse dances come from manuscripts from the late 15th century. We will do Danse de Cleves and Casulle la Nouvelle

The frame drum is a period instrument that can be a welcome addition to Middle Eastern and European music ensembles. Novices/beginners will learn basic hits and rhythms, while intermediate drummers review the basics then move on to add fills and flourishes! Experience the mysterious and hypnotic tones of this ancient instrument as we form a frame drum "choir" and play along to the songs Lama Bada and Mevlana.

In this class, you will learn a little of the history of the Gresley Manuscript and the dances found within the notebook rediscovered in 1996. You will then learn 4 of the dances listed. No experience or partner necessary!

Two Italian balli, Rostiboli Gioiosa for two by Domenico, a slow sensuous flirtatious dance, followed by Voltati in ca Rosina, a jolly dance for three by Ambrosio. Style as well as steps will be considered.

Beginners encouraged, all levels welcome! A survey of nonverbal cues and body mechanics to enhance everyone's dance experience. We'll learn a dance along the way! The first hour is the meat of the class; the second hour is overflow and open practice time.

Everyone seems to have their own definition of just what a "Bard" does. How does one perform for an SCA audience in a way that maximizes satisfaction for both audience and performer? Let's compare our ideas and share our experiences!

Our basic repertoire of early European dances can tend to be determined by inertia, and by things that beginners have taught to beginners. This class will be about alternatives that might yield a better understanding of early dance, and perhaps even some alternatives that might be more accessible and practical. The format will be dance teaching/practice interspersed with lecture/discussion on the whys and wherefores of the dances. This class is intended for all skill levels from beginner to expert.

We will run through the choral music to be used in the Choral Ball Set on Saturday night. Class will be run by Sir Volodimir of Cambion, who will also be directing the chorus for the Choral Ball Set. I will have some copies of music, but if you can bring your own, that would be quite handy. This is for both instrumentalists and singers.

This class is intended as a follow-up class that will explore putting into practice the information learned in "The Mechanics and Physiology of Support and Projection for Vocalists". However, either, or, or both may be attended. This class will follow the standard Master Class format.

After the Choreography by Committee class, we have a brand new dance. Now it needs music. Can a group of random musicians possibly agree on a melody? Let's find out!

Gelosia appears in several manuscripts. How do the various versions of the dance compare to what we know as Gelosia? In this class we'll look at the original version by Domenico, Giovanni Ambrosio's version, and the version in the Giorgio manuscript to find out.

Several moderate English country dances. Lull Me Beyond Thee, If All the World Were Paper, Cuckolds All A Row.

Come learn or practice the basic rhythms within the most common Middle Eastern songs played within SCA. The rhythms can be played from simple to complicated depending on your comfort level so anyone and everyone can participate! You need to bring your own drum. Zills and riqs are welcome!

Sutartines (pronounced "soo-TAR-ti-nehz") are ancient Lithuanian songs for two to four voices. Although their origins are lost in the mists of time, they are mentioned in two 16th-century chronicles of the region. Women sang sutartines as working songs; men performed instrumental versions. We will listen to some examples of these heterophonic, often syncopated songs and discuss their place in European music history.

The cinq pas or cinquepace is just the beginning! Come try some fun and challenging galliard sequences from other dances. We'll play with sequences from dances like Alta Mendozza and maybe even do some Volta. And yes, we will take breaks in between so everyone can catch their breath.

Ah yes. We can't have a KWDS without a class on bransles. We'll review the old favorites, polish, learn the tunes, review what Arbeau actually says, and perhaps find a new dance to add to the repertoire.

Two dances that have aha moments when the patterns work out beautifully despite your doubts of how you were just arranged. Learn, practice, or refine "Newcastle" and "Parson's Farewell".

Leoncello from Domenico 1440 to German Letter 1517. This was the most widely known dance in Europe during the 15th century created to honor Duke Leoncello of Ferrara. We will discuss the evolution of dance steps and choreography over many generations of dance masters. The class will look at four versions of this dance, two by Domenico, one by Guglielmo Ebreo and the German Letter mss. Dances will be taught along with the discussion.

So, you've done the basics, tired of the same old rhythms, and want to learn something new and different? Well, then this class is for you!! We will adjust to the level/interest of the students, but you will be challenged with new combinations and rhythms that you might not have seen or played before. You need to bring your own drum. Zills and riqs welcome!

As a musician who loves dance, dance music, and striving for authenticity in performance practice, I have sought to learn how dance was accompanied in Period. This course will describe contexts and instruments for accompanying dance in Period, based on artwork and written sources that depict playing for dance and discuss instrumentation. I focus on Western Europe and the 15th through early 17th centuries, when we have art work and dance manuals that both contribute to our understanding of secular dance. The rich realm of Middle Eastern dance, its contexts and accompaniment is beyond the scope of this presentation. Note: this is not a practicum.

Saint Martin's is one of the more difficult of the Playford Dances, because it has no pattern. It's pretty to watch, and makes a nice performance piece.

Many probably recall, back when Julia Sutton published her translation of Nobilita di Dame, the criticism of her choice to translate dance terms. Having now helped translate a difficult manuscript myself, I have a lot more sympathy with her choices. This "class" will be a round table dealing with particularly thorny issues in translation, especially as they relate to reconstruction. Our goal is to pick the collective brain of the dance community as to what it wants out of translations.

There are 26 dances in the Gresley manuscript. This class will hit as many as we can of the ones not taught in the other two classes by other teachers. Come round out the picture.

Historically Informed Performance (HIP) is an approach to performance (of music or other arts) that seeks to use knowledge of historical performance practice to shape the modern performance. Class will cover aspects of performance and where to look for authenticating information.

La Ingrata is an Italian Ballo for three by Domenico - a lively, fun & flirtatious dance. Style as well as steps will be considered.

The Canary, or Il Canario, is a semi-improvised 16th century dance, with stamping and swagger. We'll go through dance structure, some basic steps and combinations, and composing your solo passages. Improvised does not mean unrehearsed! Hard-heeled shoes not required, but fun if you have them.

Sure, your local dance master teaches you dances - but that's like saying milk comes from the grocery store. In this class we'll take an introductory look at some of the primary sources from which we draw the dances we do in the SCA. We'll see how some popular dances are described, talk about the different approaches authors took, and learn why dance reconstruction often requires some puzzle solving and experimentation. This class will be a good orientation for dancers coming to KWDS to broaden their understanding of period dance.

This beginner to intermediate level class discusses the advantages of proper footwork for English Country Dance. It’s very simple but starting off on the correct foot allows the figures to flow more easily. We’ll practice with simple dances such as Upon A Summer’s Day, and possibly the Maltese Bransle or Green Ginger. Co-taught with Lord Ari Thorbrandsson.

Taught by Daveed Korup Eastern Drumming for Western Drummers offers a basic nuts and bolts approach to Middle Eastern / Central Asian ethno-fusion, folk drumming, where participants will experience an eclectic program of Drum Speak, warm-ups, traditional rhythms, and ensemble play. Perfect for drummers of all skill levels.

This course provides students with an overview of the musical and poetic characteristics of three popular vocal music genres of the 14th Century in Italy. Listening examples will be provided.

The Inns of Court were the social center of Elizabethan London and there were certain dances one was expected to know. No experience necessary, just walking. We will also talk about the social and historical context.

This is an open roundtable for people who have studied the Gresley manuscript, to discuss the challenges of reconstructing from it. We will not be teaching the dances or providing much of an introduction to the source. With all those undefined terms and vague descriptions, we don't anticipate consensus, but we do expect courtesy. Hopefully this is a community-building exercise that pools our knowledge, and leads to the dances being included more often in our repertoires.

Maraviglia d'amore is an Italian Cascarda for two, from Caroso's Il Ballarino. It is a lovely flirtatious dance, with very lively music.

Two 15th Century Italian dances that are done to the same music. "Rostiboli Gioioso" and "Gioioso in Tre" may share the same song but the patterns and formations are quite distinct.

Again, not quite the juggling class you'd expect. We'll be taking the music for the Balls and giving folks desiring to be in the pickup bands an opportunity for preview, and practice, before playing live in front of everyone. Not a requirement for playing in the Balls, but a fine idea nonetheless. All skill levels welcome!

The drum solo is the climax of any belly dancer show. This is a great time for the dancer and drummer to improvise and communicate. Samira and Carmine cover classic drum solo structure, different rhythms for different parts and accompanying moves, secrets of musician/dancer communication and more. This class is perfect for any level dancer and drummer.

Conto Dell'Orco Nuovo is a lovely and fun balletto from Caroso's Nobilta di Dame. It features a fast, moderately complex introduction and two pairs of symmetrical verses. Previous experience with 16th century Italian dance will be helpful, especially fioretti.

Discussion Group on performance aspects of period dance. "In the modern world, a line is often drawn between what is Participatory, or “Social” Dance, and what is Performance dance. In the Renaissance period, there was no such distinction. Dancers, especially amoung the nobility, were closely observed by a knowledgeable audience who could appreciate (and criticize) what they saw." This discussion group will look at period references to the finer points of period dance (misura, memoria, aiere, etc.), clues that can be gathered from period artwork (contrapposto), and conjectures that can be gleaned from clothing worn (e.g. moving in a houppelande is different from movement in a farthingale), followed by a practicum where different theories and ideas can be explored.

Playford's three couple dances are extremely varied and creative. I will teach several, including Old Mole, Scotch Cap and Adson's Saraband.

If you've had an itch to try out certain dance styles from India, then this is your class! We will explore a variety of styles, including Bollywood, Bhangra, Rajasthani and some classical styles too! Liz, has been teaching and performing Middle Eastern dancing for over a decade! She will bring the richness and vibrancy of this culture alive in a fun and accessible way! This class is open to all levels, ages and experience.

Music. How does it even work? Come and find out. Play with rope to discover the physics of waves, which directly impacts our perception of harmony. Learn the origin of the diatonic scale. Divide a string into the musical scale twice - once using the instructor's ordering, and once following Guido d'Arezzo's (c. 1050). Listen to the scales you derive!

Black Nag, Chestnut, and (if there's time) Grimstock will be taught

In this class, you will learn a little of the history of the Gresley Manuscript and the dances found within the notebook rediscovered in 1996. You will then learn Grene Gynger, Orynge, Prenes in Gre, and Sofferance. No experience or partner necessary! (This class is not a prerequisite for Mistress Isabella's class, or vice versa. We just both want to teach Gresley.)

A course for all instrumentalists looking at the problems of performing 15thC Italian dance. How to create simple and workable realizations from the basic sources; using the tunes for El Gioioso (Rosti Bolli), Petit Riens, Prexonera and others, we will consider questions of interpretation, memorization and improvisation

Ever wonder how many versions of Furioso there really are? Ever want to just try them all on for size and talk about how they compare? I will be bringing all the versions I can gather as well as music, bring your dancing shoes and the desire to dance and discuss this lively, fun and relatively easy dance.

This class will discuss newer research on the four tempi in this dance era and how the steps are performed both in their native tempo and in other tempi. Practice of the basic steps as described by Domenico and others along with review of several dances will be included with the lecture and discussion on dance tempi and dance step descriptions.

Contrapasso Nuovo is an Italian Balletto for six, from Caroso's Il Ballarino, set to a beautiful haunting melody. Style as well as steps will be considered.

In this class, I will share how some of our dances are done locally in Vologda, Russia's historical dance group and provide an opportunity for discussion about the variations. Minor variations to Upon a Summer's Day, Black Nag, and Jenny Pluck Pears will be shared as well as more major variations in Horses Bransle, Petit Vriens and Parson's Farewell (known as Марионетки "Marionettes). This class is designed for those already familiar with at least one version of these dances.

The galliard was a spirited and showy dance with kicks, spins, and leaps. This class will focus on steps and techniques of the galliard as learned from Orchesographie by Arbeau.

The SCA Dance Band, Musica Subterranea, teamed with Their Excellencies of Northwoods to produce the Pentamere Dances Vol. 1 CD with dance instruction booklet. Five dances (ok, a secret 6th dance was added) were selected to provide an overview of SCA period dances with the requied skill level kept low to maximize adoption. This class will review all 6 dances briefly so dance teachers can take this package back home to promote SCA period dance. 1. Petite Rose 2. Montarde Bransle 3. Grene Gynger 4. Black Alman 5. Rufty Tufty 6. (bonus track!) Gracca Amorosa Two dances will be taught completely in this class: Petite Rose and Grene Gynger.

Playford's dances for four couples are some of his most interesting. I will teach several, including Lord of Carnavann's Jegg, Healths, and Dull Sir John.

Dynamic yet simple belly dance movements that meld well into multiple styles of belly dance and will take your Hafla game beyond those hip shimmies! While these movements and lines are not documented as period, the curriculum is inspired by period art work. Esa is a belly dance teacher and choreographer in the mundane world. Please dress for comfort and freedom of movement. Shoes optional. Be comfortable and please inform the instructor of any injuries upon entering the class.

The pipe & tabor is one of the primary instruments for the accompaniment of 15th and 16th century dance. This course will provide a hands-on introduction to playing this instrument and its various equivalents (e.g., flute & drum) as well as some more advanced instruction on repertoire and playing techniques. Some 3-hole pipes can be supplied.

Ever want to join in the dances at events but don't know where to begin? Do you keep hearing names like "Jenny Pluck Pears" or "Gathering Peascods" and have NO idea what fruit has to do with dancing? Want to know what the heck a "set and turn" is?? Then this is the class for you! We will go over 5 beginner level dances that are danced throughout the known world. No experience necessary and partners not mandatory. Come as you are and get a handle on this whole dance thing!

Let’s play music for Middle Eastern dancers! A hafla is Arabic for ‘party’, so let’s get the music started! All musicians from Beginners to Seasoned Musicians are welcome. You don't even need to know how to read music! You will learn a few Middle Eastern maqams (scales) and we will make up the music from there. Don’t be shy: you CAN do this! No solos or auditions are required: we will all play together. All instruments are welcome; please bring your own. You must know how to play all the notes on your instrument. Drummers are welcome if you can play softly.

Do you have a copy of the Pennsic Pile of Music and want to play with other dance band musicians? Bring your Pennsic Pile, music stand, and instruments and we’ll play together! All instruments are welcome. This is not for beginners: you must know how to read music and know how to play your instrument. Sight reading is beneficial. Bring your requests: I intend to play more obscure tunes that are not played much in Atlantia.

Furioso All'Italiana is an elegant and elaborate 16th-century Italian dance from Signor Caroso's second book. It is for sets of three couples; dancers of all ages are welcome, though previous experience with 16th-century Italian steps will definitely be useful.

Instruments can be your best friends, so let's treat them that way! Let's share a drink and some cake while we swap stories and tall tales, as well as care and feeding tips for our favorite UNsilent partners. Bringing your favorite instrument is highly encouraged (but not required.) Listeners also welcome.

Have you heard that "medieval music is modal" but have no idea what that means? Modal mysteries revealed in this lecture with musical examples. If class members are interested, instructor would love to have improvisations in each mode. Bring your instrument (voice included) if you're willing to 'noodle around' in front of others as we explore the modes.

Chiara Stella is a fun cascarde from Il Ballarino, which I have been asked to teach by a good friend. Come to this class to learn and practice this dance. Knowledge of 16th c. steps is helpful, but not required.

Contrapasso was a popular dance throughout 16th century Italy, and it appears in four different manuscripts, in many different forms. I'll be teaching as many versions of it as possible, as fast as I can! Attendees will be expected to know at least one version of Contrapasso.

A discussion of the history of dance in the SCA. Where did we get our dances? How did dance information spread? Who were the movers and shakers? Why is dance culture the way it is in the Society? Come, find out or add to the discussion.

I will teach one interpretation of the Playford dance, Step Stately. This is a fairly difficult dance, and I expect to use the entire hour on it.

Whirligig is lively and the verses are all very different but we will break it down and you can do this. If you get it quickly, we will also do Picking of Sticks. Both very fun 3 couple 1st edition Playford dances.

A class for percussion and melody instruments and singers too. This workshop will have all of us playing together as a group. We'll l review some of the maqams (modes/scales) used in Middle Eastern Music and learn some great Turkish songs. The workshop will also cover keeping your shows fresh and more open for improvisation. Perfect for any level and whatever instrument you play. Sheet music will be provided.