How are you celebrating USA 250? The New York Baroque Dance Company has created a new program featuring social and theatrical dances from gatherings in honor of Washington and Lafayette. NYBDC’s Julia Bengtsson and Alan Jones were awarded a grant from the French Ministry of Culture through The Centre National de la Danse which supported their research celebrating Lafayette and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Combined with Caroline Copeland’s research on George Washington at the ball and in the tavern, the NYBDC is offering an inside look at social life during the founding years of our country with acting, dancing and music.
Caroline Copeland’s reconstructed dances will amuse the audience with 1776 favorites such as the Fancy Minuet, La Bretagne, The Louver (L’Aimable Vainqueur), La Nouvelle Yorck (The New York), and George Washington’s Favourite Cotillion.
Julia Bengtsson and Alan Jones’ reconstructions of Francis Johnson’s New Cotillions and other popular dances by Johnson: a “Pas de châle” (shawl) , a Spanish dance, a hornpipe, a 19th Century minuet and a waltz will dazzle the audience. Suprisingly, in the 1790s, Americans were fond of the fandango and other Spanish dances. Francis Johnson, who never visited Spain, composed at least three Spanish Dances, probably intended for a young lady playing castanets. The music we have selected for our “Pas de châle” was composed by Francis Johnson for Mrs. Wallack (American), a principal dancer of the Chestnut Street Theatre.
Who is Francis Johnson? The music for our project includes ball and stage dances popular from 1776 to 1824. The 18th century music is mostly European, including a piece by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but by the 19th century American artists were finding their place and we are focusing on Francis Johnson. Today, Johnson’s music is much overlooked, but in his time, Johnson and his band were hugely popular. He was the first African American to publish sheet music (well over two hundred published pieces), the first black musician – and perhaps the first American musician – to tour Europe with a band, and one of the first musicians to participate in integrated public concerts. He toured the United States, composed dozens of marches for public parades and cotillions, or social dances, for people to play in their parlors when entertaining guests and even traveled to England to celebrate Queen Victoria.
Please contact Catherine Turocy if you are interested in a lecture, workshop or collaborative performance of this newly discovered material. We can also create an interactive experience for your audience which includes the audience learning some of the dances and manners of the time. We would love to work with your musicians, local dancers and the general public to design a program tailored to your needs in celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States. We can work with your budget, just contact us at: cturocy@gmail.com or phone 214-563-8978.
Background on The New York Baroque Dance Company
The New York Baroque Dance Company promotes the advancement of public knowledge of historical dance, the foundation of western social and theatrical styles. With the premise that history informs and inspires our contemporary world, the NYBDC researches, reconstructs, reimagines and presents rare works as well as newly created works inspired by history, thus ensuring our dance heritage has a presence in the future of dance.
Founded in the Bicentennial Year of 1976 by Catherine Turocy, Artistic Director, and Ann Jacoby, the NYBDC specializes in historical programs ranging from street performances to fully staged opera-ballets. There are over 100 operas in its repertoire as well as reconstructed dances and ballets choreographed in period style. NYBDC has toured North America, Europe, and Japan with conductors James Richman, John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas McGegan, and Wolfgang Katschner. The company also performs with the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus, The Dallas Bach Society, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, and Ars Lyrica Houston.
Thank you Paul Ross for the photos above from Midtown Concerts produced by GEMS. Dancers: Julia Bengtsson, Julian Donahue, Adelle Lorraine and Patrick Pride. Musicians: Leah Nelson and James Richman
The New York Baroque Dance Co. 
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