The Dance (by An Antiquary) Part 3

Allusion has already been made to the beautiful paintings of Botticelli and Fra Angelico, which tell us of Italian choral dances of their period; these do not belong to social functions, but are certainly ill.u.s.trative of the custom of their day. Albert Durer (figs.

45, 46) has given us ill.u.s.trations of the field dances of his period, but both these dances and those drawn by Sebald Beham (fig. 47) are coa.r.s.e, and contrast unfavourably with the Italian, although the action is vigorous and robust.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 47.--Scenes from dances. German, dated 1546, by Hans Sebald Beham.] The military dance of Dames and Knights of Armour, by Hans Burgkmair, on the other hand, appears stately and dignified (fig. 48). This may ill.u.s.trate the difference between chamber and garden or field dancing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 48.--A torchlight military dance of the early 16th century. From a picture by Hans Burgkmair.]

At the end of the sixteenth century we get a work on dancing which shows us completely its position as a social art in that day. It is the "Orchesographie" of Thoinot Arbeau (Jean Tabouret, Canon of Langres, in 1588), from which comes the ill.u.s.tration of the "Galliarde" (fig. 49) and to which I would refer the reader for all the information he desires concerning this period. In this work much stress is laid on the value of learning to dance from many points of view--development of strength, manner, habits and courtesy, etc. Alas!

we know now that all these external habits can be acquired and leave the "natural man" beneath. [Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 49.--_La Galliarde_.

From the "Orchesographie" of Thoinot Arbeau (Jean Tabourot), Langres, 1588.]

Desirable, therefore, as good manners and such like are, they do not fulfil all the requirements that the worthy Canon wished to be involved by them.

[Footnote: The advice which he gives is valuable from its bearing on the customs of the 16th century. It even has great historical value, indicating the influence dancing has had on good manners. That the history of dancing is the history of manners may be too much insisted upon. For these reasons we insert these little known pa.s.sages. The first has reference to the right way of proceeding at a ball.

"Having entered the place where the company is gathered for the dance, choose a good young lady (honneste damoiselle) and raising your hat or bonnet with your right hand you will conduct her to the ball with your left. She, wise and well trained, will tender her left and rise to follow you. Then in the sight of all you conduct her to the end of the room, and you will request the players of instruments to strike up a 'ba.s.se danse'; because otherwise through inadvertance they might strike up some other kind of dance. And when they commence to play you must commence to dance. And be careful, that they understand, in your asking for a 'ba.s.se danse,' you desire a regular and usual one.

Nevertheless, if the air of one song on which the 'ba.s.se danse'

is formed pleases you more than another you can give the beginning of the strain to them."

"_Capriol_:--If the lady refuses, I shall feel very ashamed.

"_Arbeau_:--A well-trained lady never refuses him who so honours her as to lead her to the dance.

"_Capriol_:--I think so too, but in the meantime the shame of the refusal remains with me.

"_Arbeau_:--If you feel sure of another lady's graciousness, take her and leave aside this graceless one, asking her to excuse you for having been importunate; nevertheless, there are those who would not bear it so patiently. But it is better to speak thus than with bitterness, because in so doing you acquire a reputation for being gentle and humane, and to her will fall the character of a 'glorieuse' unworthy of the attention paid her."

"When the instrument player has ceased" continues our good Canon "make a deep bow by way of taking leave of the young lady and conduct her gently to the place whence you took her, whilst thanking her for the honour she has done you." Another extract is not wanting in flavour: "Hold the head and body straight, have a countenance of a.s.surance, spit and cough little, and if necessity compels you, turn your face the other side and use a beautiful white handkerchief. Talk graciously, in gentle and honest speech, neither letting your hands hang as if dead or too full of gesticulation. Be dressed cleanly and neatly 'avec la chausse bien tiree et Pescarpin propre.'

"And bear in mind these particulars."

We have have seen from the fourteenth century (figs. 35 C, 36 A, 46) how common the bagpipe was in out-of-door dances; in the ill.u.s.trations from Durer (fig. 46) and in fig. 53 from Holtzer it has developed, and has two accessory pipes, besides that played by the mouth, and the player is accompanied by a sort of clarionet. This also appears to be the only accompaniment of the Trio (fig. 58). [Ill.u.s.tration: Fig.

50.--Morris dancers. From a window that was in the possession of George Tollett, Esq., Birtley, Staffordshire, 16th century.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 51.--Court dance. From a drawing by Callot, 1635 A.D.]

In the sixteenth century certain Spanish dances were introduced into France, such as la Pavane, which was accompanied by hautboys and sackbuts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 52.--Comic dancers. By Callot, from the act ent.i.tled "Balli di Sfessama," 1609 A.D.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 53.--Country dance. From a drawing by John Evangelist Holtzer, 17th century.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 54.--A ball-room dance, _Le Bal Pare_, of the 18th century. From August de l'Aubin.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 55.--A dance in the 18th century. From a painting by Hogarth.]

There were, however, various other dances of a number too considerable to describe here, also introduced. The dance of the eighteenth century from Derby ware (fig. 59) seems to be but a continuation in action of those of the sixteenth century, as out-of-door performances.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 56.--Caricature of a dancing master. Hogarth.]

We have now arrived at the modern style of ball, so beloved by many of the French Monarchs. Henry IV. and Napoleon were fond of giving these in grand style, and in some sort of grand style they persist even as a great social function to our own time. The Court b.a.l.l.s of Louis XIII.

and XIV. at Versailles were really gorgeous ballets, and their grandeur was astonishing; this custom was continued under the succeeding monarchs. An ill.u.s.tration of one in the eighteenth century by August de l'Aubin (fig. 54) sufficiently shows their character.

There is nothing new in the postures ill.u.s.trated, which may have originated thousands of years ago. As ill.u.s.trating the popular ball of the period, the design by Hogarth (fig. 55) is an excellent contrast.

The _contredanse_ represented was originally the old country dance exported to France and returned with certain arrangements added. This is a topic we need not pursue farther, as almost every reader knows what social dancing now is.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 57.--Spring dancing away from winter. From a drawing by Watteau.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 58.--The Misses Gunning dancing. End of the 18th century, from a print by Bunbury, engraved by Bartolozzi.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 59.--Dancing. Close of the 18th century. From Derby ware.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 60.--Spanish dance in the Hall of Saragoza, 19th century.]

CHAPTER VI.

THE MODERN THEATRE DANCE.

Although the theatrical ballet dance is comparatively modern, the elements of its formation are of the greatest antiquity; the chorus of dancers and the performances of the men in the Egyptian chapters represent without much doubt public dancing performances. We get singing, dancing, mimicry and pantomime in the early stages of Greek art, and the development of the dance rhythm in music is equally ancient.

The Alexandrine Pantomime, introduced into Rome about 30 B.C. by Bathillus and Pylades, appears to have been an entertainment approaching the ballet.

In the middle ages there were the mysteries and "masks"; the latter were frequent in England, and are introduced by Shakespere in "Henry VIII."

In Italy there appears to have been a kind of ballet in the 14th century, and from Italy, under the influence of Catharine de' Medici, came the ballet. Balthasar di Beaujoyeulx produced the first recorded ballet in France, in the Italian style, in 1582. This was, however, essentially a Court ballet.

The theatre ballet apparently arose out of these Court ballets. Henry III. and Henry IV., the latter especially, were very fond of these entertainments, and many Italians were brought to France to a.s.sist in them. Pompeo Diabono, a Savoyard, was brought to Paris in 1554 to regulate the Court ballets. At a later date came Rinuccini, the poet, a Florentine, as was probably Caccini, the musician. They had composed and produced the little operetta of "Daphne," which had been performed in Florence in 1597. Under these last-mentioned masters the ballet in France took somewhat of its present form. This pa.s.sion for Court ballets continued under Louis XIII. and Louis XIV.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 61.--Mlle. de Camargo. After a painting by Lancret, about 1740 A.D.]

Louis XIII. as a youth danced in one of the ballets at St. Germain, it is said at the desire of Richelieu, who was an expert in spectacle. It appears that he was encouraged in these amus.e.m.e.nts to remedy fits of melancholy.

Louis XIV., at seven, danced in a masquerade, and afterwards not only danced in the ballet of "Ca.s.sandra," in 1651, but did all he could to raise the condition of the dance and encourage dancing and music. His influence, combined with that of Cardinal Richelieu, raised the ballet from gross and trivial styles to a dignity worthy of music, poetry and dancing. His uncle, Gaston of Orleans, still patronized the grosser style, but it became eclipsed by the better. Lulli composed music to the words of Moliere and other celebrities; amongst notable works then produced was the "Andromeda" of Corneille, a tragedy, with hymns and dances, executed in 1650, at the Pet.i.t Bourbon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 62.--Pauline Duvernay at Covent Garden, 1833-1838.]

The foundation of the theatrical ballet was, however, at the instigation of Mazarin, to prevent a lowering of tone in the establishment of the _Academie de Danse_ under thirteen Academicians in 1661. This appears to have been merged into the _Academie Royale de Musique et de Danse_ in 1669, which provided a proper training for debutants, under MM. Perrin and Cambert, whilst Beauchamp, the master of the Court ballets, had charge of the dancing. The first opera-ballet, the "Pomona" of Perrin and Cambert, was produced in 1671. To this succeeded many works of Lulli, to whom is attributed the increased speed in dance music and dancing, that of the Court ballets having been slow and stately.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 63.--Mlle. f.a.n.n.y Ellsler. From a lithograph by A.

Lacaucbie.]

The great production of the period appears to have been the "Triumph of Love" in 1681, with twenty scenes and seven hundred performers; amongst these were many of the n.o.bility, and some excellent _ballerine_, such as Pesaut, Carre, Leclerc, and Lafontaine.

A detailed history of the ballet is, however, impossible here, and we must proceed to touch only on salient points. It pa.s.sed from the Court to the theatre about 1680 and had two characteristics, one with feminine dancers, the other without.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 63a.--Dancing satyr playing castanets, by Myron, in the Vatican Museum. The action is entirely suggestive of that of f.a.n.n.y Ellsler, and might be evidence of the antiquity of the Spanish tradition.]