The Saltarello or Salterelle was a lively Italian fast, leaping Court Dance which was originally a form of the Galliarde and in >Spain was originally called the ""#FFFFFF">Alta Danza" (or High Dance because of the leap) which used a skipping step at the beginning of each measure. The name came from the Italian word Saltare (To Leap). The >French called it the Pas de Brabant (or breban) The Saltarello was a popular court dance of the middle ages. The Saltarelle is so named from the very quick, high steps which are peculiar to it.

- In Italy it was danced by Courtesans dressed as men in

Masquerades. In Rome, the dance was very popular and was danced as a couples dance. Women held there apron and danced opposite the man, with manly gardeners and vintners enjoying the dance. This dance was very popular in >Rome and >Venice.

- It consisted of two steps, a reprise with a beat in between with an occasional little leap (later, allowed only to the good dancers) and occasionally insert three little changing steps (shuffle?). The first time-stroke of each measure is strongly marked, although commencing with a brève. The Saltarelle represents the eternal drama of love, the wooing, the resistance, the triumph; the entire is accompanied by gestures, by the mandolin, the guitar, or the tambourine, in the light measure of the Tarentelle. At the beginning a single couple performs the Saltarelle, but very soon the entire audience is carried away by the enthusiasm of the music and the pleasure of the dance.

- The Saltarello is also known as the Alta Danza> (Spain), Passo Brabante (Italy), pas de brabant or breban (France) and Quadernaria (German). The Italians called the Quadernaria the Saltarello tedesco which fused together by the 16th. century.

- The Italian balli mostly started with a salterello or piva section in multiples of four. Around 1546 the Galliarde replaced the Saltarello in popularity. The Saltarello originally followed the Galliarde in dance order and later changed to follow the Basse Danse. The Tarentella and Sicilian were very close in design.

It was done in 3/4 time and later in > 3/8 & 6/8.

-> La Mascotte (1880), by Edmond Audran (1840-1901) goes something like this:

A farmer, Rocco, is plagued by bad luck and so his superstitious brother sends to him Bettina, a country girl, as a mascotte who he hopes will cure this ill fortune. The farmer's shepherd, Pippo, falls for the virgin Bettina, who is later encouraged by Prince Laurent to live at his nearby castle. Bettina thus was sent to the court of the Grand Duke of Laurent and became a countess. When Bettina became a countess Pippo was forbidden to see her and Bettina became very sad in heart. To try to lift her spirts a troop of Italian dancers, whose leader was named Salterello (aka Pippo), would try to supposititiously amuse her. Pippo helps Bettina escape from the castle when it seems she is about to be married to the Prince. The lonely Prince now receives a bout of bad luck when war breaks out and he is rejected by his subjects. Pippo marries Bettina in the hope that her powers (imaginary?) will be hereditarily bestowed on their children. The prince became reconciled with the promise that he should be allowed to adopt her first child. Therefore a Saltarello is an assumed covert to bring about a forbidden marriage and hoodwink those who forbade it.

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Basic Step Idea ...

1) - Procession (Start), >
2) - Bow (aka: reverence) (getting ready to dance), >
3) - Simple Step (Rock Step or walks),
3a) - Hop on Right foot and thrust the left fwd. (grue), >
4) - Five double steps, (left heels strike together the right), repeat,
4a) - Two hops on left foot in different directions, >
5) - Finish with a curtsey (quebradito).
Then repeat 1-5 >

The first two steps were short and they were danced on the tips of the feet: the first two steps was raised slowly, to the third was lowered quickly.

NOTE: Usually the man dances first, then the lady, while man waits. (vis-a-vis).
About 64mpm. (Triple rhythm?), BEGIN ON the UPBEAT!!!. example: >If done to 3/4 time count was 2-3-1.