Description
A dance of folk origin; the French version comes from Provence, the Italian variety called nizzarda from Nice. Extremely fashionable at all European courts, it is a kind of variant of galliard, from which it borrows some steps. Because of its frenzied turns, in which the cavalier lifts his partner and spins her in the air, it was considered indecent and forbidden at some courts. The dance is lively, jumping and dynamic.
Probably the name of the dance comes from the Italian word volta, which means turn. The most characteristic element of the dance is the rotation of the lady lifted by the bachelor. He pushes his partner with his knee, which seems a bit rubbishy and not very elegant. Nevertheless, the volta was very popular and was danced by the rulers of Europe, Elizabeth of England and Henry III Valois. It was the only dance in which there was such a close contact between the partners and an element of whirling, completely absent from court dances. In triple meter the dance is performed at a fast, lively pace. The volta was described by Arbeau, who analysed its steps and the whirling figure with great care. In both the French volta and the Italian nizzard, there is a sequence of taking the partner to the middle of the room and guiding her with the steps of the pas de promenade, with a small hop and a jump just above the ground. At a key moment there is a lifting of the partner in a turn and then again a return to the basic step or various steps of the galliard. In general, the volta was danced by one couple, but there were also situations where the dance was presented by two couples taking turns.
Bibliography
- Conté Pierre, Danses anciennes de cour et de théâtre en France, Paris, 1974.
- Drabecka Maria, Tańce historyczne, t. II, Warszawa, 1983.
- Larousse-Borda,. Dictionnaire de la danse, Paris, 1999.
- Tabourot, Jehan (Thoinot Arbeau), Orchésographie, Langres, 1588.