Note: the # symbol indicated the end of eight bars i.e. one playing of the music.
 

The Gentleman, carrying the flower, begins in the middle of the floor.
He does a Riverenza grave (4 Bars)
 and 2 Continenze, Left then Right *1 (2 Bars each)
#

He then proceeds towards the Lady of his choice among those who wish to dance with:
- 2 Passi graveLR (1 Bar)
- a Seguito ordinario L starting with the left foot (1 Bar)
- then 2 Passi grave RL (1 Bar)
-  a Seguito ordinario R starting with the right foot (1 Bar)

Arriving in front of her he does:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
#

The Lady holds back a little while she disengages herself from her companions and removes any impediment to dancing e.g. gloves. Then she rises and takes the Gentleman’s usual hand. All this takes as much time as it would take to do 2 Continenze (2 Bars). *2

Together they do a Riverenza. (2 Bars)

They then go out on to the floor with 4 Seguiti ordinarii (1 Bar each), the last of which the Gentleman uses to place the Lady near the head of the hall and himself facing her.
#

They drop hands and both do:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)

Then the Gentleman does:
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
-  2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
#

Then he goes to find another lady following the same procedure as before, starting with the Passi grave and ending the last of the 4 Seguiti ordinarii by placing the second Lady to the left of the first Lady. That is, the Lady’s left, the Gentleman’s Right. *3
#

The group now stands in a triangle, facing the centre. They do:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)

They then each circle around by their left shoulder (anticlockwise) to face inward again using 2 Seguiti Ordinarii LR (1 Bar each).
Lady 1     Lady 2       Man        Path

Note that the diagram shows the dancers further apart than they actually are in order to make their directions of movement clearer.
The light blue circle has been included in the diagram to make it easier to see how the dancers are moving relative to their original positions.

Then they do 2 more Seguiti Ordinarii LR (1 Bar each) flankingly forward - that is to the left then right sides, but moving ‘forward’ towards the centre of the triangle a little – not too much or you will run out of space for the next part.

#

Then:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)

Now the Ladies need to turn a little away from the centre of the triangle so they can go past the Gentleman as he passes between them. They all pass one another using:
- 2 Seguiti ordinarii, the second one ending in the manner of a a meza Riverenza *4
(1 Bar each) and the Gentleman doffs his hat.
- 2 Seguiti scorsi (1 Bar each)

The second Seguito Ordinario should end before the dancers have passed each other. They then use the scorsi to pass one another and turn around by their left shoulder (anticlockwise) to form a new triangle, all facing toward the centre.
#

Then:
- 2 Puntate L forward, R back (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
Then the dancers move forward toward the centre of the triangle with 2 Seguiti Ordinarii (1 Bar each) and do a Riverenza (2 Bars).
#

The Gentleman takes the right hand of the first Lady (who is now on his right) and they go part way around one another with:
- 2 Passi grave LR (1 Bar)
- 1 Seguito ordinario L (1  Bar)
Then they turn and take left hands and return to place with:
- 2 Passi grave RL (1 Bar)
- 1 Seguito ordinario R (1  Bar)

The Gentleman then does the same, starting left hand and left foot, with the second Lady.
#
 

Then everyone does:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
 

Then they do a hey (Intrecciata) in the way described below using:
either   4 Seguiti scorsi (1 Bar each)
or  4 Seguiti ordinarii  (1 Bar each)

   First Lady         Second Lady           Gentleman                Their Path

Note that the diagram shows the dancers further apart than they actually are in order to make their directions of movement clearer.
The light blue circle has been included in the diagram to make it easier to see how the dancers are moving relative to their original positions.

The hey in words:

In crossing the circle the Gentleman passes the Second Lady by left shoulders just before passing the First Lady by right shoulders. Then he passes the Second by the right, First by the left and Second by the left as he returns to place (LRRLL). If he had started as the middle person in a normal 3 person hey it would have been RRLL, but since he must move into the middle in the first place he starts by passing both Ladies, not just one.

Second Lady passes L(Gent) L(Lady1) R(Gent) R(Lady1) and then L(Gent), as she returns to the other side of the circle. (LLRRL) If this was a normal 3 person hey it would have been LRRL as she would not move until after Lady 1 and the Gentleman had passed each other, but in this version she does start to move at the beginning, although she does allow the Gentleman to go between herself and the other lady before crossing to the other side.

First Lady passes R(Gent) L(Lady2) L(Gent) R(Lady 2) (RLLR), as she would in a normal 3 person hey. She must allow the Gentleman to get far enough across the circle for them to pass right shoulders, but this pass would occur anyway at the beginning of a normal 3 person hey.

So:  Gentleman  LRRLL
 Lady 1   RLLR
 Lady 2  LLRRL
#
 
 
 
 

Then everyone does:
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
 

Then the Gentleman kisses the flower and gives it to the first Lady (4 Bars)
#

Taking second Lady’s usual hand, he returns her to her seat. They both do:
- 4 Seguiti ordinarii LRLR ( 1 Bar each)
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars) *5
That is the end of the dance for them.

While the Gentleman is returning the second Lady to her seat, the first Lady goes to find another Gentleman, doing:
- 4 Seguiti ordinarii LRLR ( 1 Bar each)
- 2 Continenze LR (1 Bar each)
- a Riverenza (2 Bars)
#

The new (first) Gentleman rises and prepares himself (2 Bars) and taking usual hands they both Riverenza (2 bars). The dance continues as before, the Lady placing the first Gentleman at the head of the hall, finding and placing a second Gentleman, etc.

At the end of that time through the dance the lady presents the flower to the Gentleman she asked to dance first, and she and the second Gentleman leave the dance while the first Gentleman continues as above, until all those who wish to have danced.

Adaptations to Suit the Amount of Time Likely to be available

Once Only Version

The dance can be done once through by one or more sets of 3, ending with the Gentleman leading both Ladies (or the Lady both Gentlemen) off of the floor together, finishing with two Continenze and a Riverenza.

The person who begins each set may carry two flowers and present them to their two partners at the end, or the flowers may be dispensed with altogether.

Cumulative Version

After the first time through the dance the Gentleman divides a bunch of flowers amongst himself and the ladies.  (Or the Lady divides it amongst herself and the Gentlemen, of course)

All three dancers then proceed to take two new partners in the way the first dancer does in the original version, leaving out the initial Riverenza grave and 2 Continenze.

Some Step Descriptions

A Left Seguito Ordinario

On the first beat of the bar, step forward onto the left foot.
On the second beat, step forward onto the right foot.
On the third beat, step forward onto the left foot.
On the fourth beat, pause. Don’t bring the right foot forward.

Seguito scorso

Eight quick steps.

A Left Seguito Ordinario concluded in the manner of a mezza Riverenza
On the first beat of the bar, step forward onto the left foot.
On the second beat, step forward onto the right foot.
On the third beat, bend your knees a little - about as far as you can and still comfortably straighten them in the time of the next beat.
On the fourth beat, straighten your knees.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*1 Unlike Ballo del Fiore for Two, this dance definitely starts on the usual (left) foot.

*2 The original allows an entire playing of the music (8 bars), during which the lady may have to get out from among ladies who are in her way, as well as removing her gloves etc., but this seems excessive in the context of the average SCA ball.

*3 Caroso says to place the second lady to the left of the first lady. I have taken this as the lady’s left.

*4  Do the first two steps of the Seguito On the third beat, bend your knees a little - about as far as you can and still comfortably straighten them in the time of the next beat. On the fourth beat, straighten your knees.

*5 The Continenze and Riverenza are not specifically mentioned in Il Ballarino, but there is time for them and they are appropriate.