The Role of "Le Balet Comique" in Forging the Stuart Masque: Part 1 The Jacobean Initiative
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Abstract
The prominence of Le Balet Comique in the narrative of Western theatre dance cannot be denied, as every dance history book implies that this performance of 1581 initiated the ballet de cour, while the image of the fugitive gentlemen is reproduced over and over again to represent the work (McGowan, 2008, 169). The performance was certainly innovative, but also a development of previous theatre dance in France and Italy. Barbara Sparti questions the basis of the work's fame and places it in a context of earlier Italian dance theatre (2011, 304-322). The impact of the publication in England has not so far been examined. Amongst its many claims to fame, Le Balet Comique was unique in the latter half of the sixteenth century as a publication that brought together information on the performance, costumes, décor, music and dance of a ballet de cour, as well as the planning and intentions of the organisers. The records of other ballets of the period are scattered between published verses, eyewitness accounts, musical scores, costume designs and financial records, most of which remain hidden and uncollated in archives. The following discussion argues for the use of a single text as a model for new invention in dance theatre. In pursuing this argument, it offers new insights, from a dance perspective, illuminating key works that have principally been discussed as texts rather than as performances. Part 1 deals with the exciting period of innovation under the aegis of the first Stuart king, James VI and I.
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Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research is essential reading for those involved in the study and practice of dance. Dance Research is edited and published in Britain with the assistance of a distinguished group of editorial consultants based in Europe and the USA. The journal provides an international forum for the presentation and discussion of contemporary dance research and contains a section of comprehensive book and journal reviews.
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Edinburgh University Press is the premier scholarly publisher in Scotland of academic books and journals and one of the leading university presses in the UK. Founded over fifty years ago, Edinburgh University Press became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh in 1992. Books and journals published by the Press carry the imprimatur of one of Britain's oldest and most distinguished centres of learning and enjoy the highest academic standards through the scholarly appraisal of the Press Committee. In 2004, EUP was awarded charitable status. EUP has a significant journal and book publishing programme, with 120 new books and more than 30 journals published each year. More information is available at www.euppublishing.com.
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