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3 unusual facts about ballets de cour


Ballets de cour

Beauchamp, superintendent of the ballet and director of the Académie Royale de Danse codified the five positions based on the foundations set down by Thoinot Arbeau in his 1588 Orchesographie.

Pierre Rameau expanded on Beauchamp's work in Dancing master 1725 further detailing carriage of the body, steps and positions.

During his employment by Louis XIV as director of the Académie Royale de Music he worked with Pierre Beauchamp, Molière, Philippe Quinault and Mademoiselle De Lafontaine, (the first professional female dancer and Premiere danseuse of the Paris Opera Ballet) to develop ballet as an art form equal to that of the accompanying music.


Jean-Baptiste Boësset

Three masses previously ascribed to his father are now widely ascribed to him, whilst he also worked with Jean Baptiste Lully on ballets de cour from 1653 to 1666.


see also