Poster

The influence of the Italian style on the Polish dance art in the 16th and 17th century
(Romana Agnel)

The greatest deal of valid information on the Italian influence on the Polish royal court dates back to Queen Bona Sforza's arrival at the Wawel. Greatly educated and art-savvy, this young Bari princess brought a large number of artists specializing in various fields of art to the Polish court. For many years of her reign in Krakow, Bona changed the face of the court by introducing Italian fashion and customs. Recognizing the privileged position of dance in the Italian court society and based on historical records, it can be argued that Queen Bona was also a fine dancer, and one surrounded by dance masters, among other artists in the her retinue. In 1518, on her wedding day, she amazed King Sigismund I the Old by presenting herself as a dancer and performing an Italian dance in a duet with one of her maid servants.
It is since Bona's rule that a great popularity for fancy mask balls, also called masquerades, abounding in elements of ballet performances, could be observed. Considering all-around Italian influences prevalent at the Wawel Court and through the analysis of dance music notations from Jan of Lublin's organ tablature, it can be said that court dances performed in this period were mainly in the Italian style.
The popularity of masquerades spread to dukes' and magnates' courts all around Poland. Dance was also an element of the king's successor's, Sigismund August's, education.

The research poster comprises information on the influence of the Italian style on the Polish dance art and, among others, dance master Sylwester whose name was discovered by the author in the king's expense register.

Romana Agnel, Cracovia, Polen:

Romana Agnel is a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, art historian, and founder of Cracovia Danza, the only professional Court Ballet in Poland, where she is Executive and Artistic Director. She is an alumna of the Community Ballet School in Krakow and she completed a degree in Art History at the Sorbonne in Paris. She specializes in characteristic and historical dance. She is also a dancer of the Bharata Natyam classical Indian dance. She is a lecturer and author of several publications on the subject of dance history.

Curating Italian Renaissance Research Papers: Preserving Secondary Sources for Future Research
(Nena Couch, Rachelle Tsachor)

With the passing in this new century of some of our pioneer dance historians such as Ingrid Brainard, Barbara Sparti, Julia Sutton, and Wendy Hilton, researchers are faced with the loss of a generation of knowledge transmitted directly through conferences, teaching, and personal contact. When those dance scholars or their designees have made institutional arrangements for their scholarly legacies, we have the opportunity to make their personal perspectives – beyond publication, presentation, performance, and teaching – available more widely to future researchers through preservation and access to their scholarly working papers. These papers may contain a wide variety of the kinds of materials that have led to the scholar's published works, but which may reveal the dance scholarly process as well as hold unpublished materials and ideas.
Based on the presenters' experience in curating Julia Sutton's research papers, this poster considers research papers as an inroad into scholarly thinking, looks at scholars as role models of deep understanding or as landmarks of research into Renaissance dance, and explores the ways in which we value and curate foundational scholars' thinking, research practices, and decision-making models. The practice of preserving scholarly papers, the curatorial decisions that must be made in evaluating papers for accession, and the role of the special collections library/archive in honoring the achievements of past scholars and at the same time making those papers accessible for new scholarship are placed in the larger context of the importance of scholarly papers in the record of historical dance research.

Nena Couch, Columbus, Ohio, USA:

Nena Couch (BA, MM George Peabody College; MLS Vanderbilt University) is Head, Thompson Library Special Collections, Curator of the Theatre Research Institute and Professor, Ohio State University. Publications include "Dance in La dama boba" (Comedia Performance), "Choreography and Cholera: The Extended Life of Dance Notation" (A Tyranny of Documents), and others. Awards include the Harvard Rothschild Fellowship for Research in Dance, and the Theatre Library Association Distinguished Service in Performing Arts Librarianship Award. She serves on the board of the Dance Heritage Coalition. 

Rachelle Tsachor, Chicago, Illinois, USA:

Rachelle Palnick Tsachor (BFA Juilliard; MA, CUNY; CMA); is Assistant Professor of Theatre Movement, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her historical dance publications include chapters in Dover's Courtly Dance of the Renaissance; Gordon & Breach's Moving Notation and the Institute for Historical Dance Practice's Terpsichore 1450-1900. Her reconstruction of Nido d'Amore was the basis for Dancetime's video The Majesty of Renaissance Dance. Tsachor was associate editor of Dances for the Sun King: André Lorin's Livre de Contredance. She researches the bodily expression of emotions with Dr. Tal Shafir. 

The Waltz in the late 18th - early 19th century: styles, use and techniques
(Maria Derkach and Dmitry Filimonov)

The study of a German turning dance (which appeared as Deutscher, Dreher, Länderer, Waltzer and under many other names) in the first half of the 18th century is not that easy to fulfil because in Germany it was considered not that appropriate for a ballroom in comparison with French dances. Dancing masters became more tolerant towards this dance in the second half of the 18th century and even started to include it into other dance forms. Still there are no clear German descriptions of the techniques of this dance. The situation changes right on the turn of the century. After 1800 lots of German sources appear, which are quite unanimous in describing three types of turning dances: slow turning, quick turning and jumping turning, though their names may differ from source to source. The latter type seems to mix with the second one and evolves in 1820s into a huge variety of "hops" waltzes. As to the first one, the descriptions remain the same.

Knowing the situation in the first third of the 19th century we can try to find descriptions of the 18th century turning techniques. No wonder that German authors didn’t describe their own national dance, as everybody at that time knew how to dance it. Luckily for us there was a French choreographer Brives, who described 4 techniques of «Valx»: one French and three German ones.

The relationship between waltz techniques in 1800s and in 1820s gives food for thought and casts doubts on the modern reconstruction of the French slow waltz based on the description by Thomas Wilson. We can also find the source for Wilson’s arm positions by comparing this English treatise to German dance books of the early 19th century.

Maria Derkach, Moskau, Russland:

Graduated from Kaluga Dance College in 1998, Maria Derkach began to study historical dances in 2005. Now Maria is one of the leaders of the "Golden Forests" early dance school and teaches classes of different levels on various topics from Baroque to XIX century social dancing. She gave classes all over Russia as well as in Ukraine and Belarus. Currently Maria's main interest is German and Russian dancing culture in the first third of the XIX century.

Dmitry Filimonov, Moskau, Russland:

Dmitry Filimonov started his dancing career in 1993 as a competitive dancer and came to early dances in 2002. He teaches historical dance in the “Golden Forests” dance studio (a co-leader of the studio). He is head of the historical dance research seminar in Moscow. Dmitry gave lectures at many international conferences and has published several articles on early dance topics from 16th to 19th century.

Using Russian-German relationship for the reconstruction of a Russian ball at the beginning of the 19th century
(Maria Derkach)

The reconstruction of a ball in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century is quite complicated because of the lack of dance manuals at that time. Indeed, between Kuskov’s (1794) and Petrovsky’s (1825) books no dance manuals and even mentions of the existence of such sources have not been found yet. Nevertheless the balls in Russia were surely an essential part of leasure time of Russian aristocracy, as the memoirs tell us. In search for solutions many links lead us to German sources. First we need to remember that beginning with Catherine II all wifes of Russian monarchs were German. Secondly, very often the tutors of Russian aristocracy were German as well. There are also some clues in books: the style of the language, in which Petrovsky writes his book, makes us think he had German roots in his language. Another valuable German source of 1806 is the book of Ivensen published in Riga, which already had become a part of Russia.

On the other hand Russian dance culture was not identical to the German one and some dances were poplular in one country and almost not danced in another. For example, Monimask and Matredur much more popular in Russia while Anglaises, which were an essential part of a German ball of the 1st decade of XIX century, were rarely danced in Russia. Studying German dance books together with Russian memoirs helps us to understand the true picture of the Russian dance culture.

Maria Derkach, Moskau, Russland:

Graduated from Kaluga Dance College in 1998, Maria Derkach began to study historical dances in 2005. Now Maria is one of the leaders of the "Golden Forests" early dance school and teaches classes of different levels on various topics from Baroque to XIX century social dancing. She gave classes all over Russia as well as in Ukraine and Belarus. Currently Maria's main interest is German and Russian dancing culture in the first third of the XIX century.

An architect at the service of the dance: Cesare Carlo Scaletta and his book
(Letizia Dradi)

Choregraphie ò vero l'arte di descrivere i balli per caratteri figure e segni demostrativi. Per mezzo dei quali si puol facilmente apprendere da se medemo tutte le sorte di Balli. Opera utilissima ai Maestri di Ballo, e a tutte le Persone che vogliono applicarsi al ballare. Opera di M. Feuillet maestro di ballo tradotta dal Francese in Italiano e presentata a Madama la Marchesa Donna Catterina Obizzi Calcagnini. Da Carlo Cesare Scaletta Patrizio Faentino. Faenza 24 ottobre 1717.
This manuscript, held at the Newberry Library in Chicago, is the translation in Italian language of the Chorégraphie ou l'art de décrire la danse by Raoul Auger Feuillet published in Paris in 1700.
The italian translator isn't a dancing master but a man of culture who dedicated this book to the Marchesa Caterina Obizzi Calcagnini, daughter of Tommaso Obizzi Marquis of Orciano and Alessandra Pecori a Florentine Countess. The Marchesa Obizzi was a well cultured woman and a poetess. Cesare Carlo Scaletta, also a nobleman from Faenza, lived between 1666 and 1744. He attended the University in Bologna studying mathematics and architecture. His translation is very precise and corresponds to the French edition. Unfortunately only two choreographies conclude the translation, both copied from the Chorégraphie by R.A. Feuillet. They are an Entrata a due the Entrée à deux for two men and the famous courtly dance La Bourgogne for a couple.
Just one year before the completion of the manuscript Caterina married the Marquis Carlo Cesare Calcagnini from Fusignano and to celebrate the wedding Ippolito Zanelli composes a collection of Canzoni and an opera, the Clizia, a pastoral scene performed as introduction to the Ballo delle Dame e dei Cavalieri, music composed by Antonio Toschi from Ferrara. The dance was practiced by the nobles on festive occasions and the translations by Cesare Carlo Scaletta confirms the presence and the spread of the French style in Italy ten years before the Gian Batista Dufort's Trattato del Ballo Nobile published in Napoli in 1728.

Letizia Dradi, Mailand, Italien:

Dancer and choreographer she began studying ancient dance in 1992. She studied Musical Paleography and Philology at the University of Cremona. She choreographed and danced in Europe, Asia and America with severals early music groups as La Petite Bande S. Kujiken, Le Concert des Nations J. Savall, Dowland Consort of J. Lindberg and Norsk Barokkorkester Oslo. She has presented his researchs at the Society of Dance History Scholars (United States), Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society (London), Vaganova Academy (Russia). She is very active in teaching dance from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century in the Conservatives and Music Schools.

All-involving dances of late 16th- and early 17th-century Italy and the persistence of propensities and ideas across lands and centuries
(John Gardiner-Garden)

This poster is intended as a companion to the dance evening by the same name. The poster offers background on the dances and explores their possible connection with the less formal final phase of a ball. It is noted how four of them are the last or second last dance in contemporary dance books, three are said to be dances for which the lady should remove her gloves, two are said to be ones where men tend to rush for partners, and two are said to usefully follow on to one other. It is noted that these dances did not involve hierarchy and etiquette being fully suspended, but that their mechanisms and figures provided for communal playfulness. The poster attempts to identify the main ideas and propensities that ran through these dances' mechanisms and figures, and to show how some of these same ideas and propensities can be found in dances across three centuries and across many lands—where some were again associated with the last phase in a ball and described at the end of dance manuals.

John Gardiner-Garden, Yarralumla, Australien:

Dr John Gardiner-Garden has studied/researched/performed and taught historical dancingof all eras for more than 25 years. He has led and played for dancing at over 1000 events, produced 12 dance books and 8 dance CDs. He is the director of the Earthly Delights Historical Dance Academy that runs regular classes, balls and festivals in Canberra, Australia. He has guest taught around Australia, North America and Europe, and will shortly before this symposium release a new multi-volume study of historical dance from 1400 to 1900. He's accompanied by his wife Aylwen, a respected historical costumer.

The career of Franco-American dancing master Pierre Landrin Duport
(Alan Jones)

The poster focuses on the career of dancing master Pierre Landrin Duport, from his childhood playing violin at the public balls of the Paris Opéra, to his years as dancing master in Dublin, to his career teaching in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. It sheds light on the respective Dance Evening.

Alan Jones, Paris, Frankreich:

Alan Jones is an American dance historian based in Paris. After performing as a Baroque dancer in the United States and Europe, he is presently working on a book concerning ballet and pantomime in the United States from 1785 to 1812. His first book, Dictionnaire du désir de la bonne chère (Honoré Champion, 2011), concerned culinary history in the eighteenth century.

Revealing the Genius – Re-creating Angiolini's Didone abbadonata
(Helena Kazárová)

In 1766 Gasparo Angiolini created in Russia one of his greatest master pieces: ballo tragico pantomimo La partenza d´Enea, ò sia Didone abbadonata. About seven years later (after its successful Italian premiere at Teatro di S. Benedetto in Venice in 1773 and the same year in Milan) he let his particello score to be printed in Naples. This became the main source for the re-creation of this great work, as under the lines of the Violino primo score one can read Angiolini's own detailed instructions of what is to happen on stage at the precise time (sometimes in a musical phrase, sometimes in one or two bars of music). My poster will show the research and artistic process, which lead to the contemporary world premiere of this piece at the Baroque Theatre of Český Krumlov Castle (Czech Republic) in the historically informed style of performance in the hand painted original decorations from 1766 and thus show the geniality of Angiolini as a composer of both music and the scenic idea of a story-telling ballet (ballet d´action or ballo pantomimo).

Helena Kazárová, Prag, Tschechische Republik:

Helena Kazárová, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (AMU), where she reads lectures on dance and ballet history, dance aesthetics and teaches early dances. She specialises in the reconstruction and revitalisation of dances from written and graphic notation, choreography and movement culture of the eighteenth century. In 1997 she founded Hartig Ensemble-Dances and Ballets of 3 Centuries (www.hartigensemble.cz, facebook/hartigensemble.cz), she has danced and created dances, or advised on period movement style and gesture for numerous performances, including Baroque dances for various music festivals, film and TV. She staged Rococo ballets and Baroque operas in the castle theatres at Český Krumlov and Mnichovo Hradiště and elsewhere. Her publications include two books (Barokní taneční formy/Baroque Dance Forms, AMU Praha 2005), Barokní balet ve střední Evropě/Baroque Ballet in Central Europe, AMU Praha 2008) and numerous historical and theoretical articles and studies namely on dance, ballet, and opera of the 17th-18th centuries. She is often invited to read papers at international conferences (most recently Stockholm and Oxford Universities).

Bohemian Lion Enchanted: Italian Cinquecento and Seicento in the Czech Countries
(Katerina Klementova)

A portray of the cultural atmosphere in the Czech Countries of the Renaissance period which has been strongly influenced by the Italian dance culture. Already the dance-style of the Italian quattrocento was brought to this area thanks to rich cultural exchanges of Charles IV. and succeding emperors. The turn of the 16th/17th century can be considered as a „lucky period" for the Italian dance forms being enjoyed at courts and in towns as well. They were brought in by the Czech courtiers as a result of their trips and studies in Italy, simoultaneusly with the significant import of other Italian artists, archictects, writers, composers etc. under the patronage of Rudolf II. Particularly for dance, one of the copies of the Negri´s Nuove Inventioni di Balli (1604) was sent to the Imperial Court Counselor F.G. Trolius à Lessoth. The Prague Copy is maintained in the National Library of Prague up to these days. (Negri himself performed in front of the Emperor Maxmilian II., and later before Rudolf II, who seems to have personally invited him to Prague in order to teach dance at the Imperial court.)
The aforementioned period gave rise to lots of different dance oportunities: in 1555, an allegorical intermezzo in the Italian style was held in Pilsen, in 1659 a Prague performance of Jewish dancers and dancing mastres is known, as well as a pastoral „balletto" of 1662. One of the most famous theatre and dance events in the Italian style performed outside Italy, the „Phasma Dionysiacum Pragense" of 1617, will be shortly described. It´s a unique (and singularly well documented) performance held at the Prague Castle which libretto, scene descriptions, pictures and other documents remianed up to these days.

Katerina Klementova, Prag, Tschechische Republik:

Dancer, teacher and choreographer specialized in the dance of renaissance period. Studied and taught in Czech Republic, Italy, Russia. Works as a cultural researcher by the Ministry of Culture. Member and co-leader of the early dance group Chorea Historica, since 2011 member of the Committee of Early Music Society (CZ). Since 2008 a teacher of the International Summer School of Early Music, Valtice (CZ). In 2007 has founded the Czech branch of the Società di Danza, Italian Society focused on 19th Century Social Dance. 

Duel and Dance: Moresca Stage Directions in L'Amor Costante (1536)
(Lisbeth Langston)

L'Amor Costante (1536, first published 1541) by Alessandro Piccolomini is of interest to dance historians because staged fight sequences and dance performances are crucial to the climax of the play. The comedy was written for the celebration of the entrance of Charles V into Siena in 1536, though most likely it was not performed on that occasion. The plot is similar to other comedies of the time, but with unique aspects. The action takes place in Pisa, yet most characters come from Spain and speak either Italian or Spanish. The plot concerns hidden and mistaken identities, young lovers, and angry fathers. At the end, couples are united and antagonists are reconciled.
At the beginning of Act 5, stage directions specify two sword fights or duels. By the end of Act 5, misunderstandings are sorted out and order is restored. Crucial to reconciliation are the stage directions specifying "La Moresca in piotosa col bacio," La Moresca gagliarda," and "Lo Intrecciato," each separated by a few lines of dialog. This poster introduces the comedy and interprets the role of the dances in L'Amor Costante within a wider cultural context.

Lizbeth Langston, Riverside, California, USA:

Lizbeth Langston is Librarian Emerita at the University of California, Riverside. She holds an MA degree in Dance History and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, both from the University of California, Riverside. She dances every week: Western Square dancing, contradance, historical or vintage dance.

Dissertationsprojekt: Performing Gender? Geschlechterrollen in den Tanztraktaten der italienischen Renaissance
(Michaela Mettel)

Grundlage des Dissertationsprojektes ist die hermeneutische Untersuchung der Rollen von Mann und Frau in den Tanztraktaten des Quattro- und Cinquecento anhand verschiedener geschichts-, sozial- und kulturwissenschaftlicher Theorien und Methoden, die in ihrer Kombination (hier vor allem im Umgang mit dem spezifischen und bisher marginal betrachteten Thema „Tanz“) eine neue Herangehensweise in diesen Disziplinen darstellen.

Der Tanz der italienischen Renaissance dient als Ausgangspunkt, um öffentliche Geschlechterrollen in einem mikrogeschichtlichen, eng definierten Handlungsraum zu analysieren. Die sozialen Rollen, die beide Geschlechter innerhalb ihrer gesellschaftlichen Schicht innehaben, sind klar definiert. Schwerpunkt der Analyse ist die Frage, ob sich diese im eigenständigen sozialen Raum des Tanzes durch Neuinszenierungen und Neudefinierungen von geschlechtlicher Identität vom gesellschaftlichen status quo emanzipieren oder diesen weiterführen.

Fragestellungen u. a. nach Selbstdarstellung, Selbstinszenierung, dem performativen Akt des Tanzens, ebenso wie das „Spiel zwischen den Geschlechtern“, die nonverbale Kommunikation des Körpers und die Ambivalenz von flüchtiger Performanz und einem ritualhaften Charakter der Tänze und deren Aufführungen erweitern die Analysekriterien.

Das Poster wird noch keine Ergebnisse präsentieren können, da es sich um ein laufendes Projekt handelt, sondern wird den Fokus auf die methodische Herangehensweise legen.

Michaela Mettel, Saarbrücken, Deutschland:

Michaela Mettel ist Promovendin mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Geschlechterrollen in den Tanztraktaten der italienischen Renaissance. Weitere Forschungsinteressen liegen in den Bereichen Körpergeschichte, Militärgeschichte (mit Schwerpunkt auf Fechttraktaten der italienischen Renaissance), Living History, geisteswissenschaftliche Methodologie und Theorie sowie historisch-performative Konzepte in der Kulturellen Bildung. Sie arbeitet als freie Referendarin für Renaissancetanz, Darstellende Geschichte, Geschichts- und Kulturvermittlung, Kulturelle Bildungsprojekte sowie als Lehrbeauftragte an der Universität des Saarlandes.

Mimesis in Jacques Callot’s Etchings
(Ekaterina Mikhailova-Smolniakova)

Using Callot's images as a visual source for the early dance and Dell'arte Theater is a tradition dating back to the 17th century. Nowadays pictorial analysis of Callot's etchings is still on the agenda in the academic community doing research into the history of dance and theater.
The object of the research is the Hermitage museum's collection of sketches and etchings by Jacques Callot, one of the biggest collections of his works in the world. The main question of the research is: "How can we use Callot's etchings as a visual source of early dance and dell'arte practice in Italy"? The interrelation between actual practice and Callot's images is not obvious and needs investigation, which are going to be presented as well as the descriptive technic we can use in the similar cases.

Ekaterina Mikhailova-Smolniakova, St. Petersburg, Russland:

Ekaterina Mikhailova-Smolniakova has started the career in historical dances in 2001. The leader of the renaissance dance ensemble "Vento del Tempo", one of the leaders of St. Petersburg Historical Dance Club, the secretary of the Historical Dance Association, a member of the organizing committee of the annual conference considering the reconstruction of European historical dances of XIII-XX c., the author of the book "Dance of the Renaissance" (published in Russian in 2010). Main field of interests is the dance and festival culture of the Renaissance in the context of aesthetic of the period.

Balls of the Russian Empire in the 18-19th centuries. How we can look at them in the light of modern ideas about the quality of dance events.
(Dmitry Nikitin)

The grandiosity and pomp of court balls in the Russian Empire has been steadily increasing since the time of Peter the Great. In the beginning of the 18th century the Russian emperors were mostly copying the court balls in the German states, and then the balls of London, Versailles, Vienna and other European capitals. But starting with a simple imitation of the West, they not only managed to reach the European level by the end of the 19th century, but also developed their own ballroom tradition. This was facilitated by both - the typical features of the Russian character and the economic opportunities of the powerful state. The report examines the most grandiose court balls in the Russian Empire in the 19th century, describes and evaluates them. The analysis and evaluation is carried out according to criteria, which were developed by the author and set out in the framework of his lecture at the Academy of Russian Ballet Vaganova in 2016.

Dmitry Nikitin, Vladimir, Russia.

Dmitry NikitinI began to study historical social dance in 1975 at the age of 16 under the guidance of the choreographer-methodist of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR Golden O. D. For a long time he taught various types of dance. In 2011 he organized the Club of historical and social dance in the city of Vladimir. Currently, he is it's head and teacher. Areas of his activities are the reconstruction of dances of the 19th century and the modern era, dance theory, theory and practice of dance pedagogy, organization of historical events. He pulished several articles on dance reconstruction and lectures at conferences. he holds a PhD in Integrated Automated Systems at the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1989. For a long time he worked in the system of higher and special education.

Dance Assemblies in Georgian Edinburgh
(Alena Shmakova)

The Dance Assembly in Edinburgh could be traced back to 1710 when the semi-private club was organised in the Old Town. Faced with strong criticism from the church and residents it did not last. However, the second attempt to enliven the social dance scene led by the well-established female society leaders was successful. Edinburgh Assembly was formed in 1723 and created the model by which the Assemblies ran for the next 100 years in Edinburgh and major Scottish towns. Dance Assemblies created a further demand for skilled dancing masters, musicians, and collections of dances, some of which formed the foundation of the repertoire of modern Scottish country dances. They also provided further opportunities to express Scottish identity through dance and music, creating such interesting dance forms as Strathspey Minuet and Scotch Reel and culminating in the Scottish themed Balls during the historical visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822.

My poster presentation will focus on analysing the roles of Dance Assemblies in Scottish society during the Enlightenment. In addition, I am interested in exploring how the developing ideas of national identity were reflected in the most fashionable ballrooms in Scotland. As such I would pay special attention to the dance practice of Edinburgh Assemblies at the time of the Royal Visit of George IV in 1822 organised by Sir Walter Scott.

Dr Alena Shmakova, Edinburgh, Great Britain:

Dr Alena Shmakova is a dance historian based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She teaches and performs historical dance as part of Les Danses Antiques since 2013 focusing on social dances from the XVII – XIX centuries. Her research interests include Russian influences in the British dance repertoire of 18th and 19th centuries and Scottish dance scene during the Enlightment period. The later project she is doing as a research volunteer at the National Trust for Scotland. Alena is a board member of the Early Dance Circle.

"Harlequinades" zwischen Commedia dell'arte und belle danse: Harlequin auf der Londoner Bühne des 18. Jahrhunderts
(Kathrin Stocker)

The neatness with which you perform [the] Character of Harlequin in all [the] different Attitudes which belong to it they which you give with so much Grace & suppleness; obliges me to take [the] liberty to offer you this little work. (Choreograph Le Rousseau um 1728 an den Tänzer Louis Dupré)
Die Figur des Harlekin war von den Londoner Bühnen des späten 17. und frühen 18. Jahrhunderts nicht wegzudenken. Louis Dupré war in London seit 1714 bekannt für seine artistischen und artifiziellen Darbietungen. Er baute seine Rolle als Harlekin zunächst in entr'acte-Tänzen und Afterpieces aus. Später machte er am Theater Lincoln's Inn Fields von John Rich – selbst ein bekannter Harlekin, jedoch kein Tänzer – Stücke wie Amadis, or the Loves of Harlequin and Colombine (Januar 1718) und The Necromancer, or Harlequin Doctor Faustus (Dezember 1723) zu Publikumserfolgen. Die wenigen erhaltenen Hinweise auf sein Bühnenschaffen weisen deutlich darauf hin, dass Duprés Harlekin das Publikum begeisterte und zu einem regelrechten ‚Harlekin-Boom' auf den Londoner Bühnen führten.
Le Rousseaus Choreographie in Feuillet-Notation ist eines der wenigen choreologischen Dokumente für Commedia dell'arte-Figuren auf der Ballettbühne des 18. Jahrhunderts. Es handelt sich zwar nicht um die Niederschrift eines Auftritts von Dupré, enthält nach Le Rousseau aber ausdrücklich Bewegungen, die auch für Duprés Harlekin typisch waren. Der Historizität der Harlekin-Figur selbst wohnt eine Widersprüchlichkeit und starke Ambivalenz inne. Ihr Bewegungsrepertoire ist zum Zeitpunkt von Le Rousseaus Choreographie seit Jahrhunderten herausgebildet, verfeinert, individualisiert worden – Harlekin steht also notwendigerweise in einem gewissen Widerspruch zum kodifizierten belle danse. Die Herausforderung einer solchen Figur an die Feuillet-Notation und ihre Bewegungssprache am Beispiel von Le Rousseaus Choreographie sollen Thema des vorgeschlagenen Posters sein.

Kathrin Stocker, Leipzig, Deutschland:

Kathrin Stocker studierte in Heidelberg Musikwissenschaft, Germanistik sowie Mittlere und Neuere Geschichte. Sie schloss das Studium 2011 mit einer editorischen Arbeit zu Tanzformen im norditalienischen Violinrepertoire ab. Seit April 2014 ist sie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin im Emmy Noether-Projekt „Ritualdesign für die Ballettbühne" (Dr. Hanna Walsdorf, Leipzig) und arbeitet an einer Dissertation zum Thema „Choreographische Gefüge in Konstruktionen von Volkskultur auf der Ballettbühne des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts" (Arbeitstitel) an der Universität Leipzig. 

The Italian Dance Manual as a Source of Action for Theatre
(Rachelle Tsachor, Tal Shafir)

To dance is to take action. Historic dance manuals are outstanding primary sources of detailed instructions for specific actions. Specific action is a foundation in actor training, where physical actions are the path to emotionally truthful behavior (Stanislavski1936). Current emotion science (Thompkins 1962, Laird 1974, Izard 1993, Flack 1999, Neumann 2000, Carney 2010, Shafir 2013, Shafir and Tsachor 2015) demonstrates thatsensory feedback from movement contributes significantly to experiencing emotions, validating theories proposed as far back as Darwin (1872) and James (1884). These studies have important artistic implications for how instructions in historical dance manuals can easily provide a simple clear path to action, and therefore emotional power in theatre. Indeed, language in the dance manuals themselves implies that moving in specific ways leads to emotional and interpersonal results.

This poster briefly reviews the scientific studies indicating how bodily action is key in producing feelings (both in the mover and in those watching movement). It shares findings from our recent study of motor qualities associated with specific emotions, and explores the specific dance and manners instructions in FabritioCaroso'sNobiltá di Dame as a rich sources of action, and therefore emotion, for actors to embody in period drama. Results from a recent Period Theatre Movement class show howdance instructions and concepts such as misure, pavoneggiare, become powerfully expressive physical action for actors, andgive examples how actors use discoveries from Renaissance dance to create truthful expression for period characters.

Tal Shafir, Haifa, Israel:

Tal Shafir (PhD U. Michigan, R-DMT), after certifying and teaching dance and working as a dance-movement therapist for several years, completed her Masters and PhD in neurophysiology of motor control, then two postdoctoral fellowships in brain-behavior interactions in motor development and in affective neuroscience. Her research at University of Michigan's Department of Psychiatry focused on brain mechanisms underlying movement-emotion interaction. This research is the topic of her TEDx talk: "How your Body Affects your Happiness". Shafir continues her research in her current position as Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies in University of Haifa.

Rachelle Tsachor, Chicago, Illinois, USA:

Rachelle Palnick Tsachor (BFA Juilliard; MA, CUNY; CMA); is Assistant Professor of Theatre Movement, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her historical dance publications include chapters in Dover's Courtly Dance of the Renaissance; Gordon & Breach's Moving Notation and the Institute for Historical Dance Practice's Terpsichore 1450-1900. Her reconstruction of Nido d'Amore was the basis for Dancetime's video The Majesty of Renaissance Dance. Tsachor was associate editor of Dances for the Sun King: André Lorin's Livre de Contredance. She researches the bodily expression of emotions with Dr. Tal Shafir. 

The Lunatic Asylum Ball: voyeuristic spectacle or dance therapy?
(Bill Tuck)

From the middle of the 19th century and the foundation in England of a great network of public ‘asylums for pauper lunatics’ (following the parliamentary Acts of 1808 and 1845) there evolved the practice of holding ‘balls’ regularly throughout the year. At Colney Hatch, a very large asylum on the outskirts of London, there were no fewer than 15 such balls in the year 1868. Participants at these events might include patients as well as members of the public. Regular dance classes for inmates were also frequently arranged as part of their structured leisure activities – along with musical concerts and other entertainments. Similar practices were later initiated in US and Australian asylums, as well as in those of many other countries.

Attitudes to these ‘balls’ appear, however, to have been somewhat ambiguous. Were they intended as therapy for the patients or did they merely serve as voyeuristic entertainment for a curious public (as they had almost certainly been in an earlier age when a visit to Bedlam was an essential part of any social calendar)? Their role as a sophisticated public relations exercise, serving to convince a sceptical public of the value in contributing public funds to these institutions should also not be underestimated. The poster will illustrate some of these complex attitudes toward the Asylum Ball.

Bill Tuck, London, Großbritannien:

Bill Tuck is the current Chairman of the Early Dance Circle. He performs in theatre with the Chalemie company where his interests are in commedia dell’arte and its connections with historical dance. He has worked as accompanist on pipe & tabor for many renaissance dance groups and plays sackbut in a number of early music ensembles. He holds a PhD in mathematics from Sydney University and before his retirement was a Senior Research Fellow at University College London.

Ritual Design for the Ballet Stage: Constructions of Popular Culture in European Theatrical Dance, 1650–1760
(Hanna Walsdorf, Petra Dotlacilová, e.a.)

Emmy Noether Research Group at the University of Leipzig, 2015–2019

The Project: Aims & Claims:

The three main components of theatrical dance – choreography, music, and costumes/ décor – have scarcely been investigated as a complex whole. On a broad basis of source materials, the project aims at systematically contextualizing and deciphering attributes and narratives. Therefore, an empirical, philological and iconographical analysis of the historical records is to be done, supported by ongoing academic discourses on transculturality, materiality and performance in order to confirm the European ballet stages as places of political and social negotiations creating images of popular, foreign and imagined cultures.
The ritual connection is self-evident: when the Other was portrayed in dance, be it in the form of peasant festivals, noble savages or ancient ceremonies, patterns of space and motion were generously applied in order to provide the audience with a clear ritual framework for the actions on stage. Working on the basis of a broad range of materials, this finding will be systematically researched and analyzed in case studies from Paris, London, Milan and Stuttgart in four subprojects:
SP 1: Transcultural Encounters (Dr. Hanna Walsdorf)
SP 2: Choreographical Structures (Kathrin Stocker M.A.)
SP 3: Compositional Strategies (Jelena Rothermel, M.A.)
SP 4: Vestmental Designs (Petra Dotlacilova M.A.)

Petra Dotlacilová, Prag, Tschechische Republik:

Doctoral student. Graduated at the Charles University (Italian philology) and Academy of Performing Arts (Dance Studies) in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2013 her MA dissertation was published in Prague under the title Vývoj baletu-pantomimy v osvícenské Evropě (The Development of ballet pantomime in Enlightenment Europe).In February 2015 she commenced doctoral research at the University of Stockholm. In her thesis she will examine the development and reforms of the theatre costume in Paris from the perspective of Enlightenment concepts of 'nature', 'truth', 'character' and 'nation'. In Stockholm she takes part in project "Performing Premodernity". In March 2015 she also began a collaboration with Dr Hanna Walsdorf's project "Ritual Design for the Ballet Stage: Constructions of Popular Culture in European Theatrical Dance (1650–1760)" at the University of Leipzig. 

Hanna Walsdorf, Leipzig, Deutschland:

Studium der Musik- und Tanzwissenschaft, Politischen Wissenschaft sowie der Historische Hilfswis-senschaften und Archivkunde an den Universitäten Salzburg, Bonn und Bern. Magisterexamen 2006 in Bonn,im Juli 2009 Promotion mit Auszeichnung in Salzburg. 2009–2013 wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin im SFB 619 »Ritualdynamik« an der Universität Heidelberg. Seit April 2014 Leiterin der Emmy Noether-Nachwuchsgruppe »Ritualdesign für die Ballettbühne: Konstruktionen von Volkskultur im europäischen Theatertanz (1650–1760)« am Institut für Theaterwissenschaft der Universität Leipzig.