Italian Court Ballet
The first ballets were specatular programs given
in the courts of Renaissance Italy. These shows, which combined painting,
poetry, music, and dancing, were performed in large banquet halls.
A dance performance given in 1489 actually was
performed between the courses of a banquet, and the action was closely
related to the menu.
For instance, the story of Jason and the Golden
Fleece was performed right before the roast lamb was brought out. The
dancers based their performance on the social dances of the day.
French Court Ballet
The Italian court ballets were further developed
in France. Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Queen's Ballet Comedy),
the first ballet for which a complete score survived, was performed in
Paris in 1581.
It was staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux, a violinist
and dancing master at the court of Queen Catherine de Médicis.
The dancers were aristocratic amateurs in a hall
with the royal family on a dais at one end and spectators in galleries
on the other three sides.
Since much of the audience saw the ballet from
above, the dancers created elaborate floor patterns. Poetry and songs
accompanied the dances.
The Stage
Most French court ballets were made up of dance
scenes tied with as less plot as possible. Because they were designed
for the entertainment of the aristocracy, rich costumes, scenery, and
elaborate stage effects were emphasized.
The theater stage was first adopted in France in
the mid-1600s, and professional dancers made their first appearance, although
they were not permitted to dance in the grand ballet that concluded the
performance. This dance was still reserved for the king and courtiers.
End of Court Ballet
The court ballet reached its peak during the reign
of Louis XIV (1643-1715).
Many of the ballets presented at his court were
created by Italian French composer Jean Baptiste Lully and French choreographer
Pierre Beauchamp. Pierre is said to have defined the five
positions of the feet.
Also during this time, the playwright Molière
invented the comédie-ballet. In the comédie-ballet, the
actores had spoken scenes, and danced interludes in between.
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