All finished! Here is my cleaned-up version of Petit Riens. There are of course small differences between my version and others, but this is the way we did it at TRF. I really enjoy it, and it is a fantastic way to inject some characterization into the dance. I can't wait to teach it again!
As before, first is the whole dance, then I'll break it down.
Petit Riens
Petit Riens, sometimes written Petit Vriens, means "little nothings". I think both the dance and the music are light and fun.
Petit Riens, sometimes written Petit Vriens, means "little nothings". I think both the dance and the music are light and fun.
Dance for three people, either two men and one woman or two women and one man, in a line holding hands.
Counts - Steps
16 counts - 8 Piva, starting on the left foot.
16 counts - 8 Piva, starting on the Left again.
8 counts - First person in the line moves away with four Piva.
8 counts - Second person in line does four Piva to follow the first person.
8 counts - Third person does four Piva to catch up with the first two.
4 counts - First person moves away, this time with a Doppio, left foot first.
4 counts - Second person follows the first with a left Doppio.
4 counts - Third person catches up with the others with a left Doppio.
4 counts - First and second person reverance to each other.
4 counts - Second and third person reverance to each other.
4 counts - All three dancers reverance to each other (it makes a triangle).
4 counts - All doppio backwards, starting on your left foot.
4 counts - All doppio forwards, starting on the right foot.
2 counts - All continenza left.
2 counts - All continenza right.
4 counts - Turn over your left shoulder, then take hands to start from the top.
Repeat dance two times, then reverance all at the very end.
Here is the dance broken down section by section:
16 counts - 8 Piva, starting on the left foot.
A Piva is a bit like a straight-line step-ball-change, but done low to the ground. While rising up on your toes, step forward with your left foot (step), and bring your right toe behind, placing it almost underneath your left heel and briefly shifting your weight onto the right (ball). Finally, shift your weight back to your left foot (change). Each Piva takes two counts to do, and when you start the next one, you will begin with your right foot.
16 counts - 8 Piva, starting on the Left again.
Since they were so much fun to do the first time, let’s do some more Piva. There is no set track that they follow, but it is probably best to keep them on the stage and out of the audience.
Everyone drop hands, but keep facing the way you were headed before.
8 counts - First person in the line moves away with four Piva.
The leader is going to head off in a direction, leaving the second and third person behind them.
8 counts - Second person in line does four Piva to follow the first person.
8 counts - Third person does four Piva to catch up with the first two.
Now everyone is back together in a line again. But not for long…
4 counts - First person moves away, this time with a Doppio, left foot first.
A Doppio is a slightly different type of step. Rising up on your toes, take three walking steps forward, starting on the left and staying up on your toes (step left, right, left). On the fourth step, bring your right foot up to meet your left and sink back to the ground, heels onto the floor. The whole sequence takes four counts to complete.
4 counts - Second person follows the first with a left Doppio.
4 counts - Third person catches up with the others with a left Doppio.
Now all three dancers are back together again in a line. The first person then turns to the second person in
line:
4 counts - First and second person reverance to each other.
A reverance is a fancy word for bow or curtsey. If we’re being completely period, this should be something
called a riverenza minima (small bow), which is lovely but isn’t very visible from the audience. Typically, the modern theatrical reverance is a great way to show some more of your character via movement.
4 counts - Second and third person reverance to each other.
4 counts - All three dancers reverance to each other (it makes a triangle).
Take hands into a single line, facing the same direction. Raising up on your toes together:
4 counts - All doppio backwards, starting on your left foot.
4 counts - All doppio forwards, starting on the right foot.
In this sort of dance, the foot you start on will typically be reversed if you change direction, meaning if you go backwards on the left foot first, you will go forwards on the right foot.
2 counts - All continenza left.
Continenza is another superfancy word for a simple movement. Rising up on your toes again, step horizontally to the left (with the left foot), then touch the toe of your right foot to your left instep. Lower yourself back down briefly, because next we are going to:
2 counts - All continenza right.
Repeat the same movement to the right: step right and touch your left toe to your right instep. Drop your
heels to the floor, and let go of everyone’s hands.
4 counts - Turn over your left shoulder with a doppio, then take hands to start from the top.
This is actually called a voltatundra, but I’ve already inundated you all with enough Italian words, I think. I usually call this section as: step-touch-step-touch-turn around and do it again! After taking hands again, start the dance over from the pivas. Depending on your music, usually you will be able to do the whole thing about three times through.
Reverance all at the very end.
Fun, huh? For your pleasure, here are two videos of the dance, one where everyone starts in a long line facing each other's backs (and while not exactly serious, you can tell they're having fun!), and the other where they are side-by-side.