Professor:
$ Sorry about the tests. I don’t have them finished. They just took longer to grade than I thought they would. So . . . I』ll have them for you next time. Okay then. Let’s begin our discussion of the ballet. . . . If you read the chapter in your text, you already know that uh . . . in 1489, a performance that was something like a dinner theater was organized to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of Milan, and . . . a dance representing Jason and the Argonauts was performed just before the roasted lamb was served. By the way, it’s interesting that the dance was called an entree and that name has been retained for courses in meals. Anyway, about the same time, outdoor entertainment, you know . . . parades and equestrian events . . . they were becoming more popular, and uh . . . we have evidence that they were referred to as "horse ballets."
$ Student 1:
$ So this . . . the horse ballet . . . was it the first time the term "ballet" was used?
$ Professor:
$ Right. The actual term in Italian was balletti, which meant "a dance done in figures." And it was characterized by the arrangement of the performers in various patterns. Actually, the balletti were staged versions of the social dances that were popular at court, and the steps . . . the basic movements . . . they were walking, swaying, and turning . . . so they combined in a variety of . . . of . . . sequences, each of which was named so that, uh, they could be referred to in the directions for individual dances. In fact, specific instructions for the placement of the dancer’s feet probably provided the first, uh . . . the first record of the five positions of classical ballet. Question?
$ Student 2:
$ Sorry. I’m trying to get clear on the dancers. Um . . . could you explain what the book means about court dancing and, uh . . . I’m not saying this very well.
$ Professor:
$ I think I know where you’re going. You see, the directions that were written down were intended as a reference for social dancing, but they were, uh . . . important in the history of ballet because uh . . . the theatrical dances or entertainments that preceded ballet were . . . not performed by professional dancers. Members of the court danced for the entertainment of society, and in general, the performances were in the central halls of castles and palaces with the audience seated in galleries above so that, uh, the floor figures could . . . could be seen when the people looked down. But back to your question . . . because of the limitations of the performers and the arrangement of the staging, well, the best way to impress the audience was to keep the steps simple enough for the amateur dancers but the geometrical patterns had to be, uh, . . . intricate and . . . and fresh . . . so the spectators would go away pleased because they』d seen something new.
$ Student 2:
$ Oh, I get it now. That makes sense, too, because everyone would be looking down at the dancers.
$ Professor:
$ Exactly. Now to continue that thought for a moment . . . by the middle of the sixteenth century, variety shows were being presented on a grand scale in Northern Italy. They included both indoor and outdoor entertainment, and most people called them spectaculi. And, uh . . . France had begun to make a significant contribution to the dance form that evolved into modern ballet. But, to be precise, it was Catherine de Medici who used dance as part of her court entertainments and is, uh . . . credited with the use of the term ballet. In 1573 . . . I think it was 1573 . . . anyway, she organized a huge celebration to welcome the ambassadors from Poland who had arrived to, uh . . . to offer their country’s throne to her son Henri. So she called it the Polish Ballet, and the production was staged on a landing at the top of a grand staircase. Sixteen ladies . . . and these would not have been dancers . . . just members of court . . . so they represented the sixteen provinces of France, and they performed a choreographed dance with a variety of floor figures. Afterward, the audience joined in court dances, similar to the ballroom dancing that evolved later. . . . So that’s a long answer to your original question.
$ Student 1: Now I have a question.
$ Professor: Okay.
$ Student 1:
$ You said that the Polish Ballet was the first ballet, but I thought that the book said the first ballet was Queen Louise’s Ballet.
$ Professor:
$ Good question. Well, I said the Polish Ballet was the first use of the term ballet for a dance performance, but Queen Louise’s Ballet is generally considered the first modern ballet. As you』ll remember, from the book, the ballet was performed before ten thousand guests, and it was five hours long. When I was doing the research for this lecture, I saw several references to the time, so . . . so I know that this is accurate, but I kept thinking, no one would watch a ballet for five hours. But it must be correct. I can only assume that other activities were going on simultaneously, like a banquet and conversation. Don’t you think?
$ Anyway, what makes Queen Louise’s Ballet so unique, besides the length, and why it’s the first modern ballet, is that it was connected by a story line or, in technical terms, uh, it’s called dramatic cohesion. Each scene was related to the tales of Circe, a Greek enchantress, who used her powers to battle with man and the gods. The triumph of good, portrayed by Jupiter, over evil, portrayed by Circe, was told in a . . . let’s call it a unified production.
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