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Noverre: frontispiece of Lettres sur les arts imitateurs, Paris, Collin, The Hague, Immerzeel, 1807
Noverre: frontispiece of Lettres sur les arts imitateurs, Paris, Collin, The Hague, Immerzeel, 1807
Lettres sur la danse et les ballets, Lyon 1760
Lettres sur la danse et les ballets, Lyon 1760

Contents

Introduction

Jean-Georges Noverre (April 29, 1727 – October 19, 1810) was a French dancer and ballet master, and is considered to be the creator of ballet d'action a precursor of the narrative ballets of the 19th century. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1727 ( MDCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic See also, ' Ballet Master' ( Balletmaster, Ballet Mistress. Premier Maître de ballet or Premier Maître de ballet en Chef) Ballet d'action is a Ballet movement started by French Choreographer Jean Georges Noverre in 1760 A narrative ballet is a ballet in one act that has a plot or story His birthday is now observed as International Dance Day. International Dance Day ( World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID an Umbrella organization He criticized professinal dancers. He first performed at Fontainebleau in 1743, and in 1747 composed his first ballet for the Opéra-Comique. Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. Year 1743 ( MDCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1747 ( MDCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The théâtre national de l’Opéra-Comique ( National Opéra Comic Theatre) is an opera company and Opera house in Paris. In 1748 he was invited to Berlin by Prince Henry of Prussia, but went to Strasbourg where he stayed until 1750. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. For the brother of Emperor William II see Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862-1929 He then went to Lyon. In 1755 he was invited by Garrick to London, where he remained for two years. Year 1755 ( MDCCLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford &ndash 20 January 1779) was an English Actor, Playwright, London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Between 1758 and 1760 he produced several ballets at Lyon, and published his Lettres sur la danse et les ballets. Year 1758 ( MDCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1760 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. It is from this period that the revolution in the art of the ballet for which Noverre was responsible can be dated. He was next engaged by Duke Karl Eugen of Württemberg, and later Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, until 1774. Karl Eugen Duke of Württemberg ( 11 February 1728 &ndash 24 October 1793) was the eldest son of Duke Karl I Alexander and Maria Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia see also names in other languages; May 13, 1717 November 29 1780) was the Archduchess regnant Year 1774 ( MDCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In 1775, he was appointed maître des ballets of the Paris Opera at the request of Queen Marie Antoinette. Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/ He returned to Vienna in Spring of 1776 to stage ballets there but in June 1776 he returned again to Paris. He regained this post until the French Revolution reduced him to poverty. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an He died on October 19, 1810, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. For treaties with this name see Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (disambiguation Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the western

Noverre's friends included Voltaire, Mozart, Frederick the Great and David Garrick (who called him "the Shakespeare of the dance"). François-Marie Arouet ( 21 November 1694 30 May 1778) better known by the Pen name Voltaire, was a French Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford &ndash 20 January 1779) was an English Actor, Playwright, William Shakespeare ( baptised The ballets of which he was most proud were his La Toilette de Venus, Les Jalousies du sérail, La dour corsaire and Le Jaloux sans rival. Besides the letters, Noverre wrote Observations sur la construction d'une nouvelle salle de l'Opéra (1781); Lettres sur Garrick écrites a Voltaire (1801); and Lettre à un artiste sur les flies publiques (1801). Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday

Les Lettres sur La Danse et sur Les Ballets

Historical Context and Main Point

Les Lettres sur La Danse et sur Les Ballets, by Jean-George Noverre, is a treatise on dancing and theater that expressed Noverre’s aesthetic theories on the production of ballets and his method of teaching ballet. Noverre wrote this text in London in 1756 and published it in 1760 in Lyon, France. He began his research for his essays in Drury Lane, London where he choreographed for his own troupe of dancers at the Theater Royal under the direction of David Garrick. It was in David Garrick’s library that Noverre read modern French literature and ancient Latin treatises on pantomime. Noverre was inspired by the pantomimes that he thought stirred up the audience’s emotions by the use of expressive movement. He proclaimed in his text that ballet should unfold through dramatic movement and the movement should express the relationship between the characters. Noverre named this type of ballet, ballet d’action or pantomime ballet and produced his first serious pantomime ballet called, “Le Judgement de Paris”, in 1751 in Marseilles (International Dictionary of Ballet 1032).

Inspiration for Noverre’s Treatise

Noverre was most immediately influenced by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marie Sallé and David Garrick. Jean-Philippe Rameau (ʒɑ̃filip ʀaˈmo in French (September 25 1683 – September 12 1764 was one of the most important French Composers and music theorists Marie Sallé (1707 &ndash 1756 was a French Dancer and Choreographer known for her expressive dramatic performances David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford &ndash 20 January 1779) was an English Actor, Playwright, Rameau was a very influential French composer and music theorist and Noverre was inspired by his dance music that combined programmatic and strongly individual elements. Marie Salle and Noverre were both dance students at the Paris Opera Ballet and met early on in their careers. Marie Salle, a Romantic ballerina with expressive qualities, likely influenced Noverre to write about the importance of expression in dance. David Garrick was an actor and theater director at the Theater Royal. Noverre was inspired by his talent for “histrionics. ”(The Encyclopedia of Dance and Ballet 695).

Content of Noverre’s Treatise

Noverre’s text demanded an end to repressive traditions peculiar to the Paris Opera Ballet, such as stereotypical and cumbersome costumes, and old-fashioned musical styles and choreography. Noverre also discussed the methods for training dancers such as encouraging a student to capitalize on his or her own talents (The Encyclopedia of Dance and Ballet 699). Most of Noverre’s criticisms of dance in his book were directed towards the Paris Opera Ballet because he felt the Paris Opera Ballet created ballets that were an isolated event within Opera lacking meaningful connection with the main theme of the Opera. He criticized the Paris Opera Ballet' use of the mask because it restricted the dancer from showing facial expressions that could bear meaning on their characters. Noverre devoted the whole of his Ninth Letter to the subject of masks and wrote, “ Destroy the masks and” he argued, “we shall gain a soul, and be the best dancers in the world. ” Noverre specifically dealt with seven major points in his treatise:

  1. Regarding the training of dancers, he emphasized that correctness in dance technique as laid down by Pierre Beauchamp and others must be held with sensitivity to the individual’s anatomy.
  2. Of Prime concern, the pedagogical consideration of the dancer’s personality and style is prerequisite to artistic development. Pedagogy (ˈpɛdəgɒdʒi or paedagogy is the Art or Science of being a Teacher.
  3. Noverre stressed that within a dramatic context, validity and sincerity of gestural expression are of the utmost importance in creating a ballet. Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance
  4. Noverre called for the logical development of plots. According to Noverre, plots should be thematically integrated with movement. Additionally, all superfluous solos and irrelevant dance techniques should be omitted from the ballet.
  5. Noverre was adamant that music be appropriately suited to the dramatic development of the plot.
  6. He insisted that costumes, décor, and lighting be compatible with the introduction, plot, and climax of each act within the ballet.
  7. With the disappearance of masks in his own ballets, Noverre pronounced his advanced ideas on stage make-up for dancers that would allow for the dancer’s expression to be seen rather than hidden behind a mask (Lee 111).

Impact of Noverre’s Treatise

Noverre’s Les Lettres Sur La Danse et Sur Les Ballet had lasting impact on ballet ideology as his text has been printed in almost every European Language and his name is one the most frequently quoted in the literature of dance (Lynham 13). Many of his theories have been implemented in dance classes today and remain a part today’s ideology of dance. For example, his idea that a teacher should encourage students to profit from his or her own talents rather than to imitate a teacher or the style of a popular dancer is a present ideology of dance. Noverre did receive criticism from many of his prominent ballet contemporaries, however his theories have survived longer than any of his ballets, which have not been reproduced for at least two centuries (Lynham 127).



Noverre's Major Works

Works Cited

Guest, Ivor (2006). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Paris Opera Ballet. Alton, Hamshire: Dance Books.   Lee, Carol (2002). Ballet in Western Culture: A History of its Origins and Evolution. Great Britain: Routledge.   Lynham, Deryck (1950). The Chevalier Noverre, Father of Modern Ballet; a biography. New York: British Book Center.   Noverre, Jean-George (2004). Letters on Dancing and Ballet. Alton: Dance Books.   "Jean-Georges Noverre". The Encyclopedia of Dance and Ballet. (1977).   "Jean-George Noverre". International Dictionary of Ballet. (1993).  


References

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