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16th and 17th Century Periods

- Reformation (1500-1600)

- Baroque (1600-1700)

16th Century (Important Figures of Ballet)

Aristocracy and courtiers who participated in dance as an amusement for themselves and as entertainment for the court; political agendas as ballets distracted.

- Catherine de' Medici

- Balthasar de Beaujoreulx

- Thoinet Arbeau

17th Century (Important Figures of Ballet)

King, musicians, and professional dancers who contributed to development of ballet from a court entertainment to a profession.

- King Louis XII of France

- King Louis XIV of France

- Jean Baptiste Lully

- Pierre Beauchamps

- Mlle la Fontaine

- Claude ("Jean") Balon

Forms of Ballet (16th and 17th Centuries)

- Balle-mascarade

- Ballet pastoral

- Ballet Melodramatique

- Ballet-comique

Dance works and literature

- Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine

- Orchesographie

- Ballet de la Nuit

- Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

- Le Triomphe de L'Amour

- Playford's The english Dancing Master

Geometric Dance in Ballet Comique de la Reine

Dance 1- 12 Naides and 12 Pages -> 12 Geometrical FIgures

- Triangle - Plato's model of the Universe

Dance 2 - Entree of the Grand Ballet

- Dryads (wood nymphs) dance to the King then to Circe's Garden & the Naiads

- Violins, 15 figures, dance facing king

Dance 3 - La Grand Entree - 40 geometric figures

- Chain, Interlacings, Precision, Geom. Proportions

- Contrapuntal relationship of 2 groups of dancers. Continual generation & distingration of the forms (Greek Cosmic Dance)

- Spectators joined in dancing in branles

Interpretation among the court spectators

- philosophical significance

- moral interpretation

- historical

- political

- social application

- Literal meaning

Dance Education

Indoctrinating moral values

Renaissance Spectator's focus

1. Static Geometric figure

2. Flux of Spatial patterns

3. Ordering principle behind the dance- cosmic dance of the heavens

Nymph Dancers

The Queen , Princess, and ladies of the court

allemande

A couple dance that began in Germany and was performed at court, it replaced the pavane as the opening dance when the two-part suite became the four-part suite. The dance was performed in 4/4 time in a slow tempo with flowing movement and had a sentimental, often melancholy, quality. It had three parts separated by intervals during which the couples engaged in conversation. The dancers held one or both of their partner's hands throughout the dance, and the gentleman often turned the lady under his arm, or vice versa. The dance was popular from the mid-1500s to around the mid-1700s.

anti-masque

The masque began with a preliminary dance called the anti-masque. This prologue was performed by professional actors costumed as fools, satyrs, baboons, or other beasts.

Arbeau, Thoinot

Jehan Tabourot (ca. 1519-1595), born the son of a king's counselor in Dijon, France, was the canon of Langres. Writing under the name Thoinot Arbeau, in 1588 he published Orchésographie, a record of mid- to late-16th-century dances. A dancing master as well as a priest, Arbeau compiled this manual for his fashionable patrons. Beyond instructing them in dancing, he included dance music, social mores, fencing, and advice on marriage. Arbeau's book was an important factor in transferring the power of dance from Italy to France and thus played a significant role in the development of ballet.

ballare

The Italian word meaning "to dance."

ballet

Derived from the Italian word ballare, meaning "to dance," balletti, a diminutive of ballo, is a source for the word ballet.

ballet-comique

The ballet-comique evolved as a unique form around 1605. The themes used in this type of ballet were either pastoral or classical.

Ballet-Comique de la Reine, Le

First performed in 1581, Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine has been called the first ballet produced in Europe and it was an incredible theatrical feat for its time. The ballet was staged in the French court at Fountainbleau and presented by Catherine de' Medici, queen mother. Catherine de' Medici commissioned Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, a court violist, to prepare the event to honor the queen's daughter-in-law. Beaujoyeulx's concept of ballet used architectural and geometric arrangements. Comique de la Reine used original music, poetry, and songs created by professionals in the French court to tell the legend of Circe, the Greek enchantress. The ballet required elaborate sets and scenic devices representing the garden and the castle of Circe. The royal family sat at the end of the hall, and the audience stood around the walls or sat on the risers around the main part of the floor, which was left open for the performers. At the opposite end of the long, narrow hall from the royal seats was a setting depicting the castle and garden of Circe with entrances on either side for the dancers.

ballet d'école

Training in the traditional style, or a prescribed way of dancing, evolved from the developing sophistication of technique and performance in the court ballets, transforming ballet from a court amusement to a profession. With the inception of the Académie Royale de la Danse, this type of training began to produce professional dancers who would perform in the king's ballets.

ballet de cour

By 1620 the ballet de cour had been established as a balletic form; it flourished during the reign of Louis XIV. The ballet de cour's dramatic emphasis lay between the ballets mascarade and mélodramatique. It included a succession of ballet entrées, sometimes with spoken words but mostly with singing, followed by a grand ballet. It lacked a unifying theme, a fact that contributed to its decline. The primary roles of the ballet de cour during the 17th century were to divert the nobility from everyday problems, celebrate auspicious occasions, spread the king's message through the use of allegory, and glorify him as the absolute monarch. Underlying these goals was a secret aim to educate and inform by amusing and impressing the court and prominent citizens. Pages carrying torches marked off the dancing space. Certain roles that were performed by male professional dancers in the court of Louis XIV, such as nymphs and sorceresses, were later reserved for ladies.

ballet-mascarade

Presented in the ballroom, the ballet-mascarade required little preparation or scenery. The participants chose their own costumes for the event, so no unifying theme tied the series of scenes together. The ballet began with violinists entering the ballroom. Pages holding torches stood along the walls. Several dances were followed by a grand ballet. Then the participants unmasked and continued to dance throughout the night.

ballet mélodramatique

Using mythological themes and thin plots as a pretext for dramatic action, the ballet mélodramatique appeared in a variety of court entertainments. Music, particularly singing, was the prominent art in these ballets; this change from declamation to singing led to the development of opera.

ballet pastoral

The ballet pastoral, a specific form of the ballet-mascarade, was a dance interlude between sections of longer entertainments. Its characters were rustic people; occasionally satyrs and wood nymphs appeared in the chorus.

ballo

Refers to dances performed in the ballroom.

baroque period

In France, the 17th century was the "grand siècle" of classical art. Much of the 17th century has become known as the baroque period. Baroque means "rough pearl" or "irregularly shaped with a fluid style." Baroque art, architecture, music, and dance enveloped the court and its entertainments. The 17th century and the reign of Louis XIV have been described as l'Age d'Or (Golden Age) or, more commonly, the baroque period.

courante

The second dance of the four-part suite. It originated in Italy (its name may have come from the Italian corrente, meaning "stream") and became very popular in France. The dance was in 3/4 time and had running passages of eighth notes, to which the dancers executed short, light running steps. One version that was popular in France was performed by three couples who engaged in a pantomimic dance of courtship and flirtation. The courante was a favorite court dance from 1550 to 1750.

de Beaujoyeulx, Balthasar

An Italian violinist, Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx (ca. 1535-1587) came to the French court in 1555 as Catherine de' Medici's valet de chamber (chamber valet, or personal servant). In 1573 he arranged Le Ballet des Polonais, but his claim to fame rests with his 1581 masterwork, Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine. In the libretto for the ballet he explained the terms ballet and comique. Beaujoyeulx defined ballet as people creating geometric formations as they danced, which was an important step in developing choreographic precepts. In the Ballet-Comique, Beaujoyeulx skillfully combined elements from court amusements, music, poetry, scenery, machinery, and lavish costumes in a production that was to be copied throughout Europe.

de' Medici, Catherine

Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589) came from the powerful Italian Medici family and married the duke of Orleans, heir to the French throne, who became King Henry II. When she moved her court from Italy to France, she brought Italian ballet with her. When Henry ascended the throne in 1547, Catherine became queen of France. Henry II died in 1559 and Catherine continued to reign since their sons had not yet come of age. She produced Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine.

The English Dancing Master

Written by John Playford, the book was a record of the country dances that followed people to the New World. Although it listed the dances and provided the figures and tunes, it did not give directions on how to execute them. Each figure was 8 measures, and each repeated. The dances required at least six dancers and an equal number of males and females; men and women were represented by sun and moon symbols, respectively. The lead couple called the tune and the figures for the dance. Pipes or tabors (small drums) provided accompaniment for the dances. The bestseller went through a series of 18 editions; Playford published the first seven editions between 1651 and 1686 and his son published editions 8 to 12.

entry, main, and going-out dances

The three formal dances of the masque. In England, masquers performed the first dance on a platform at the end on the room; the second and final dances were staged on the main floor of the hall. Participants had separate dances: The masquers had their dance, the king led the nobles in the main. The masquers' dances were devised by a professional dancing master and rehearsed. In the final dance masquers danced with the spectators and performed a mixture of galliards, courantes, and la voltas called revels. Later an afterpiece was added.

equestrian ballet

An outgrowth of the love of tournaments and spectacles in feudal times, the equestrian ballet reached its zenith during the 16th and 17th centuries, only to be replaced by opera, ballet, and other entertainments. Performed outdoors or in huge arenas and amphitheaters for events or royal tributes such as prestigious weddings or welcoming ceremonies for visiting monarchs, costumed horsemen rode their horses in patterns, creating a design. One popular practice was to spell out the royal guest's initials.

four-part suite

The dances of the four-part suite are the allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. These court dances provided much of the movement vocabulary for the development of ballet in France. Many composers, such as Henry Purcell, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Jean-Baptiste Lully, used these forms in their compositions.

gigue

The final dance of the four-part suite. A lively dance with many origins, the gigue dates back as early as the 13th century in Italy. This dance in triple time with rapid footwork and stamping had many forms of spelling, such as "jig," "giga," or "geige." Its name may have derived from the German word for fiddle, or geige, or the player, who was called a gigator. The dance was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries among both nobles and peasants and appeared in Lully's operas.

grand ballet

The final dance of the ballet-mascarade. The ballet de cour included a succession of ballet entrées spoken but mostly sung, followed by a grand ballet, but without a unifying theme, a fact that also contributed to its decline. Louis XIII danced in the final grand ballet, which was reserved for the king and his courtiers.

Jones, Inigo

An architect of Covent Garden who designed the scenery and costumes for masques (1573-1652).

masque

A variation of the ballet de cour. Although popular in France and Italy, it reached its height in England. In the early 1500s, when the Italian masque was introduced at court, the masked performers danced with the English ladies, who were shocked since they did not know with whom they were dancing. These earlier masque elements became the inspiration for the English masque. Shakespeare described masques in his plays Romeo and Juliet and Henry VIII.

In the first half of the 17th century, masques had allegorical and mythological themes that were expressed through verse, comedy, plot, and dancing. The most famous masque writer was England's Ben Jonson (1572-1637), who collaborated with Inigo Jones (1573-1652). Jones, the architect for Covent Garden, was a theatrical designer who created scenery and costumes for many masques. The English masque centered on music and dance.

The masque began with a preliminary dance called the anti-masque. This prologue was performed by professional actors costumed as fools, satyrs, baboons, or other beasts. The masque consisted of three formal dances: the entry, main, and going-out dances. By the middle of the 17th century, the masque had disappeared.

opera

Originally the Académie Royale de la Musique, which became known as the Paris Opéra in the 18th century.

Orchésographie

A record of 15th- and 16th-century dances, it was written by Thoinot Arbeau in 1588.

Playford, John

An English bookseller and music publisher who lived from 1623 to 1686, he wrote The English Dancing Master or Plaine and Easie Rules for the Dancing of Country Dances, With the Tune to Each Dance.

Restoration period

In 17th-century England when Charles II mounted the throne, he brought with him French style from his previous exile in France; it became known as the Restoration period. During the later part of the 17th century, the English court and London society became leaders of fashion.

sarabande

A dance that changed into three diverse forms during its history. The form that originated in Spain was a solo dance, performed with castanets and only by women. When it reached the French court in the late 1500s, it was a sedate, slow, processional dance in 3/4 time. The dance remained popular at court throughout the 17th century. Imported to England, the sarabande became a country dance done by six or eight couples who formed two lines facing one another.

turnout

The outward rotation of the legs, which became a dominant feature of ballet technique. Dancers who performed on the small stage at the end of a grand hall began to use turnout to enable them to move with ease in all directions.

Court spectacles

Ballets. Shows that included:

famous performers, poetry, song, dance, drama, music, machines, the latest social dances, lavish costumes, rituals, festivals, & carnivals.

Dance Dominance

While England was deep in political turmoil dance dominance moved from Italy to France in the 16th century. Catherine de Medici married Henry II heir to the French throne. Their union was key to this transition.

Catherine de Medici

- Catherine came from the powerful Italian Medici family.

- When she moved her court to France, she brought Italian ballet with her

- She had a love for ballets with underlying political plots which led to the production of Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine and ballet de cour

- As Queen (ruled since songs were too young) she produced ballets with political and classical themes to:

***Entertain the court

***Display the wealth and power of France

***Distract from her political activities

Ballet de cour

Evolved from dances performed in tournament closings, hunting parties, banquets, etc.

- Starting out with ballet entrées through singing followed by a ballet. Role of this ballet was to distract royal from problems they were facing.

- Goal to educate citizens.

Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine (Overall)

- Considered the first ballet produced in Europe in 1581.

- This ballet was presented by the queen, Catherine de' Medici and featured music, poetry, and songs to tell the legend of Circe, the Greek enchantress.

-This ballet was the first time dance, drama, and music was

intermingled into one storyline.

Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine (Background)

A major theatrical achievement of it's time, it was the first time songs, dances, recitations and processions were fused into a single artistic entity with a story

- Catherine de Medici commissioned Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, court violinist and director of court festivals for her daughter in law

- Tells the legend of Circe, the Greek enchantress is defeated by the French King.

- Considered the first ballet produced in Europe

Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine (Setting)

- Staged in the french court at Fontainebleau in 1581

- A major theatrical achievement of it's time. It was the first time original songs, dances, recitations and processions were fused into a single artistic entity with a storyline.

- Performers numbered in the hundreds and the audience was comprised of 9,000-10,000 people