Modifications are my own, and are made for the purpose of making the true meaning of the text clearer. There is no intent to be literal; this translation is merely a tool for my own use to make reconstructing the jumps easier. For a facsimile of relevant pages of the original book, see here.
For a transcription of Kendall's translation, see here.
For a reconstruction of these jumps, see here.
| Figure 1 |
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| Figure 2 |
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| Figure 3 |
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One will raise the body a little on the ball of the right foot, forcing the right arm down in order to raise one's body the more from the ground. One will bend the right knee a little, raising the entire body as much possible with the right leg, and raising the toe of the right foot such that it touches the tassel, and landing in the same place with the same foot, turning a half-turn to the left, so that the back is turned to the tassel. This will be practiced so much that one goes a little more than two arms' lengths high.
After having discussed the way one must hold [oneself?] to learn the first jump, I will discuss also how one must stop the body with elegance, as the present figure will show, wanting to learn the first [second!] jump of the tassel, that one will do with the back turned to it, turning a full turn around. These observances, that will be given, will serve for all other jumps.
This [jump] will be done raising the tassel according to one's own desires, standing with the back turned to it with both the feet on the ground, but the left a step forward of the right, the toes a little apart, and the legs the same. The body should be straight, and the arms too, but the right arm should be raised a little, with the hand shut, in order to give force in lifting oneself from the ground. The head should be straight, the mouth, shut, and the eyes should be lowered so as to avoid doing anything rude. Besides this being more pleasant to watch, this particular demeanor helps in avoiding unpleasant habits, such as ending the step with the feet, legs, or body crooked, or the head lowered or to the side, or the mouth open, or the eyes aiming too high. All these defects must be avoided as they are unpleasant to watch.
Immediately, one will turn the body a little to the left, somewhat raising the body on the toes, and also raising the right arm. Then, one will return the body and the arm to their initial [rotational] places, widening the knees slightly, putting the toe of the right foot to the heel of the left, and raising the body as much onto the toes as possible. One will use the right leg to swing the left around; then touch the tassel with the toe of the left foot; and then one will fall lightly to one's original place, with the left foot turning to the left, and with the back turned to the tassel. In teaching this second jump, I have discussed the actions and moviments and carriage of the body enough, and this will serve in learning the other jumps of the tassel more easily, those in which one falls on one foot at the end, as the figure 3 shows.
In this jump, one will finish the [previous] cadence with the right foot behind, standing about four arms' distance from the tassel. Then, one will do a hop with the right foot raised [in front], and three steps running forwards, ending with the left foot raised [in front]. Then, one will lift the body, kicking with the right leg, and touching the tassel with the right toe in a straight line, letting it fall lightly at the same place on the of the right foot. This jump is done high, as much as can be reached with a hand, and a palm more for who wants to practice it. The same jump will be done again landing with both the feet side-by-side and is more difficult. One will do it in one measure of gagliarda.