The Dancing Body in Renaissance Choreography: Kinetic Theatricality and Social Interaction

The Dancing Body in Renaissance Choreography problematizes the absence of the dancing body in treatises and reconstructs it through intertextual readings triggered by Thoinot Arbeaus definition of dance in his 1589 dance treatise, Orchesographie. Arbeaus discussion of dance as a mute rhetoric in the demonstrative genre points to Quintilians The Oratorical Institution, where the genus demonstrativum is explained as epideixis, and civility as found in courtesy books. The categories of pose and movement are then read into the structure of the basse danse, the quintessential courtly social dance of the period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2022
Publisher: Anthem Press

The Dancing Body in Renaissance Choreography delves into the intriguing issue of the absence of the dancing body in treatises, seeking to reconstruct it through a series of intertextual readings inspired by Thoinot Arbeau's definition of dance in his 1589 dance treatise, Orchesographie. Employing the notion of intertext as developed by Michael Riffaterre, the study explores a series of interconnected relationships between dance and other activities, shedding light on the historical dancing body. Arbeau's discussion of dance as a mute rhetoric within the demonstrative genre leads to an exploration of Quintilian's The Oratorical Institution, where the concept of epideixis, aimed at inspiring confidence and charm in the audience, is explained. Additionally, the study delves into the realm of civility as depicted in courtesy books, where the posture of the body and the parameters of movement are outlined. These parameters converge in the gesture of the révérence, a courtly social dance of the period. By analyzing the categories of pose and movement within the structure of the basse danse, the quintessential courtly social dance of the Renaissance, the study further theorizes the relationship between pose and movement, or stillness and mobility, drawing upon earlier Italian treatises, particularly those of Domenico da Piacenza, who employed the term fantasmata. This intricate exploration of intertextual relationships contributes to a deeper understanding of the dancing body in Renaissance choreography, offering valuable insights into the historical and cultural contexts of this artistic discipline.

Weight: 392g
Dimension: 160 x 235 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785278013