Bayle, Christine. "Between BELLE DANCE, Drama, and New Work."

Bayle, Christine. "Between BELLE DANCE, Drama, and New Work." In Terpsichore and her Sisters: The Relationship between Dance and other Arts [Proceedings of Early Dance Circle Conference held on 8-10 April 2016], edited by Georgina Boyes, 121-139. Cambridge: Early Dance Circle, 2017.

URL: https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2016-Christine-Bayle-Between-BELLE-DANCE-Drama-and-New-Work.pdf


Abstract:
Dance is not usually associated with drama in the conventional theatre sense, because it is studied in the context of musical theatre. Yet when we return to dance works of the grand siècle, in order to present them on today’s stage we must consider whether they are included in dramatic librettos, or comic or tragic. This paper attempts to think through this question with respect to dance and drama based on the performance of three recent works produced by the dance company, L’Eclat des Muses, under the title A la suite de Martin Marais. On the basis of this experience, I ask what were the dramatic elements of the material in order to understand how the work communicated with its audience? In the background is the broader question - how does the Baroque become the material for new creations?