| This new book focused on medieval dance in religion and culture by Kathryn Dickason is a revelation. Although there are no dance notations or even dance manuals from the Middle Ages there are still sources to investigate to discover attitudes toward dancing, when and where it occurred and what part of society was dancing. The depth of research and analysis by Dickason is astounding. I very much appreciate the numerous footnotes and bibliography which allows one to get deeper into the subject and to get an overview of thought from other scholars working in this rare corner of historical dance. I would advise you to buy your copy soon before the price triples which has been my experience with other books of this nature .Link to the Table of Contents |
| In our Dance of the Month classes for January we are studying a “dance game” choreographed by Pecour and published along with the 1700 edition of Chorégraphie. This dance is the French gigue, La Contredance. Our last Saturday in January will focus on the use of the head and arms and the leanings of the body in bringing this work to life. What is it like to be coached by Catherine Turocy if you are a dancer in the New York Baroque Dance Company? Attend our class and find out! What is Dance of the Month? Our Dance of the Month begins with a new dance every month. In the following Saturdays we continue with the dance. If you missed the first class you can still take the second, third and/or fourth classes and enjoy the warm-up, learn the figure which is being taught that day and partake in the discussion and look at the notation at the end of class. If you study the whole month you end up with an in-depth understanding of the structure and musicality of the work. If you can only drop in on occasion you have an active and fun dance class with discussion at the end. Registration and Payment When: Every first Saturday of the month from 3:30-5PM Eastern Time Zone. Cost: $10 per class Our 2021 Dances forDance of the Month from now through June January 2: La Contredance February 6: Le Rigaudon des Vaisseaux March 6: La Bourgogne April 3: La Savoye May 1: La Forlana June 5: La Conty Upcoming Workshop: Historical Dance Society presents Working with the Sources Workshop 1: La Belle Danse: Baroque Court & Theatre Dance in Beauchamp-Feuïllet Notation – French collections and sources27-28 February 4.30-7.30 PM GMT each day (11.30 AM-2.30 PM EST) Workshop 2: La Belle Danse: Baroque Court & Theatre Dance in Beauchamp-Feuïllet Notation – English collections and sources6-7 March 4.30-7.30 PM GMT each day |
