Does the History of Dance Also Begin with the Idea of Writing?
There remains today of course, only certain evidence of the great flourishing of this art, in expedients, iconographies, writings and above all choreographic notation. Knowledge of Baroque dance comes to us essentially in the form of notated choreographic works, written thanks to an initial system invented by two dance masters of the seventeenth century: Beauchamp, dance master to Louis XIV, and Feuillet. Another essay containing notation, less hazardous and perfected by another dance master, Favier, also delivers to us long extracts of a danced masquerade: ‘Le mariage de la grosse Cathos’ (The Marriage of Fat Cathos). The written texts give plenty of information to reconstitute the dances while still offering considerable leeway for individual interpretation. In fact, each type of notation demonstrates a particular sensitivity, with accent placed on different elements of the dance, revealing the author’s own imaginings. Thus, deciphering these diverse writings allows us to access the
