La Forlana

In the Parisian ballrooms of the late 18th century, the Forlana had long been out of fashion. Surprisingly, the dance master Malpied decided around 1780 to publish a new version of Pecours danse a deux La Forlana to the music of Campra's opéra-ballet L'Europe galante (1697). It was probably performed by young dancers in the intervals between the contredanses at public balls or private dance events.

Malpied dedicated this dance to Maximilien Gardel, the ballet master of the Paris Opera. Gardel seems to have taken a liking to it, as he used the melody and perhaps also the choreography in the ball scene of his ballet Mirza et Lindor, 1781. Even in 1815, the dance theorist Jean-Etienne Despréaux, a former soloist at the opera, continued to develop the dance and used it as an example for his new notation system Terpsichorégraphie.

One focus of the course will be on Malpied's choreography, which we will compare with the original by Pécour and other versions. In order to understand Despréaux's adaptations, participants will receive an introduction to Terpsichorégraphie based on his Danse Cosaque and a couplet from the Folies d'Espagne. In a second focus, we will take a fresh look at the late 18th century contredanse technique using Malpied's step material and apply it to the contredanse La Perle, which also evokes memories of the Forlana.

Requirements: The course is aimed at dancers with a good knowledge of baroque dance. The class will be taught in English.