Baroque dance forms and styles emerged during the 1600-1750 era, shaping European court culture. The minuet, gavotte, sarabande, and gigue each had unique characteristics, often organized into suites. These dances influenced musical composition and social interactions.

Dance notation systems and manuals helped preserve and spread Baroque choreography. The close relationship between music and dance led to the development of dance-inspired musical forms. Baroque dance also played a crucial role in court etiquette and social hierarchy.

Baroque Dance Forms and Styles

Distinctive Baroque Dance Forms

• Baroque era (1600-1750) developed several distinct dance forms with unique characteristics and origins
• Minuet originated in France featured graceful movements in 3/4 time with small, elegant steps and intricate floor patterns
• Gavotte evolved from French folk dance into court dance with duple meter and distinctive hopping steps
• Sarabande transformed from Spanish dance to slower, stately French court dance in 3/4 time emphasizing second beat
• Gigue derived from English jig showcased lively compound meter (6/8 or 12/8) with intricate footwork and syncopated rhythms
• Baroque dance forms organized into suites consisting of sequence of dances in same key with contrasting tempos and meters
  • Example suite: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue

Preservation and Dissemination

• Dance notation systems developed to preserve and spread Baroque dance choreography
  • Feuillet notation allowed for detailed recording of steps, floor patterns, and timing
  • Beauchamp-Feuillet notation became widely used standard for documenting court dances
• Publication of dance manuals and treatises facilitated learning and standardization of dance forms
  • "Chorégraphie" by Raoul-Auger Feuillet provided comprehensive guide to Baroque dance techniques
  • "The Dancing Master" by John Playford popularized English country dances across Europe

Baroque Music and Dance

Interconnection of Music and Dance

• Baroque composers often wrote music specifically for dance performances
  • Jean-Baptiste Lully composed numerous ballets de cour for Louis XIV's court
  • Georg Philipp Telemann created series of dance suites for orchestra
• Choreographers created dances to existing musical pieces
  • Marie Sallé choreographed innovative ballets to Handel's operas
• Rhythmic structures and tempos of dance forms directly influenced musical composition
  • Development of dance-based musical forms like the suite
  • Johann Sebastian Bach's French Suites and English Suites exemplify dance-inspired instrumental music
• Concept of "dance rhythms" in Baroque music refers to distinctive patterns associated with specific dance forms
  • Sarabande rhythm typically features emphasis on second beat of 3/4 measure
  • Gigue often incorporates lilting 6/8 or 12/8 rhythm with dotted figures

Musical Elements Supporting Dance

• Basso continuo provided steady rhythmic foundation supporting intricate footwork and patterns
  • Harpsichord or organ with bass instrument (cello, bassoon) maintained consistent pulse
• Baroque operas incorporated dance sequences called divertissements
  • Showcased integration of music, dance, and dramatic storytelling
  • Jean-Philippe Rameau's operas-ballets like "Les Indes Galantes" featured extensive dance sections
• Development of ballet music as distinct genre traced to Baroque era
  • Lully's "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" set important precedents for theatrical dance music
  • Henry Purcell's "The Fairy Queen" incorporated substantial dance episodes within opera framework

Social Significance of Baroque Dance

Court Etiquette and Social Interactions

• Baroque dance played crucial role in court etiquette and social interactions
  • Displayed grace, status, and political alliances through dance performances
  • Ability to perform complex dance steps considered essential skill for courtiers and nobility
    • Required years of training and practice to master intricate choreographies
• Court ballets served as elaborate spectacles combining dance, music, and allegorical themes
  • Ballet de Cour in France celebrated and reinforced monarchical power
  • "Ballet Comique de la Reine" (1581) marked beginning of court ballet tradition
• Standardization of dance forms and etiquette contributed to pan-European court culture
  • Facilitated diplomatic exchanges through shared dance vocabulary
  • French court dance style became dominant influence across European courts

Social Hierarchy and Dance Practices

• Dancing masters held significant social status in Baroque courts
  • Served as instructors, choreographers, and arbiters of etiquette and fashion
  • Pierre Beauchamp, Louis XIV's dance master, codified five basic foot positions
• Dance performances often reflected and reinforced social hierarchies
  • Specific dances and roles reserved for different ranks of nobility and courtiers
  • Grand Ball at Versailles showcased strict social order through dance participation
• Publication of dance manuals helped codify and disseminate dance practices
  • "Orchésographie" by Thoinot Arbeau provided detailed descriptions of 16th-century dances
  • "Le Maître à Danser" by Pierre Rameau offered comprehensive guide to French court dance

Baroque Dance vs Classical Ballet

Technical Foundations

• Codification of five basic foot positions in Baroque dance laid foundation for classical ballet technique
  • Pierre Beauchamp's system became fundamental to ballet training
• Emphasis on turnout (rotation of legs from hips) in Baroque dance became principle of classical ballet
  • Turnout allowed for greater range of motion and aesthetic line in dance movements
• Focus on precision, elegance, and intricate footwork influenced aesthetic values of classical ballet
  • Baroque dance's emphasis on noble bearing and graceful port de bras carried into classical style

Theatrical Developments

• Development of proscenium arch stage during Baroque era influenced spatial organization of classical ballet
  • Encouraged frontal presentation and linear patterns in choreography
• Integration of narrative and dance in Baroque court ballets paved way for story ballets in classical tradition
  • "Ballet d'Alcidiane" by Lully and Benserade exemplified narrative structure in court ballet
• Practice of dancers performing with masks in Baroque court ballets influenced use of character roles in classical ballet
  • Pantomime developed as means of conveying story without words
• Transition from courtly Baroque dance to theatrical ballet d'action in mid-18th century marked crucial step in evolution of classical ballet
  • Jean-Georges Noverre's "Letters on Dancing and Ballets" advocated for expressive, narrative-driven ballet