Accademia della Danza is a group within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) that exists to encourage and promote dance from the Mediæval and Rennaisance periods, about 600 to 1600 CE.  We are part of the Barony of Carolingia, in the East Kingdom (Note: all three are external links).

If you are interested in dancing-for-dancing (which is not quite the same thing as dancing-for-socializing, although they are certainly not mutually exclusive) then you may be interested in Accademia della Danza.  Previous dance experience is not required, all you need is interest.

Accademia was founded around 1992 to pursue style practice, reconstruction research, and performance.  Different incarnations over the years have concentrated on slightly different mixes of these pursuits, but they still pretty well represent what we are all about:

Style: There is far more to dancing than just doing the steps of dances, and that is where style comes in.  Style can be approached on several different levels.  First, there is the style of the repertoire; you don't dance a sixteenth century French bransle the same way that you dance a 15th century Italian ballo.  Next, there is the style of the music; if that 15th century Italian ballo is being played delicately on quiet strings you would dance it differently than if it were being played brightly on loud pipes.  Finally, there is the style of mood and partner; you dance differently when you are happy and dancing with someone you wish to be spending time with than when you are annoyed and dancing with someone you have been paired with because your parents are trying to arrange a marriage or business deal.

Reconstruction: The original incarnation of Accademia was more actively involved in reconstruction than we have been of late; reconstructions they generated are available for Leoncello Novo and Daphnes.  But we have recently produced reconstructions for Tesara (Note: Microsoft Word format) and Verçepe (Note: Rich text format).

Performance: Past performances include a series of dances presented (as part of a larger performance including the Carolingian Waytes & Quire) at the Barony Beyond the Mountain's yule festivities on 09 December A.S. XXXV (2000), and Domenico's dance Tesara performed at both Carolingia's Queen's Court and the Barony of the Bridge's Black Rose Ball on 08 February A.S. XXXVII (2003).  The Carolingian Buffens Team first performed at La Feste a La Tour du Lac (Note: external link) on 09 February A.S. XXXVI (2002).  It has dazzled several audiences since then, including dancing at both Queen's Court in Carolingia and the Black Rose Ball in the Bridge on the same day, 08 February A.S. XXXVII (2003).  At Queen's Court HRM Isabella honored us by awarding Golden Lyres to those who performed that day.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions relating to Accademia della Danza, please email me: Phelan ab Emrys (mka Jeremy Kessler).

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This page belongs to and is maintained by Jeremy H. Kessler.  It was last updated on 04 April 2004.
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