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A
TREATISE
ON THE
ART
OF
DANCING.
By Giovanni-Andrea Gallini.
LONDON:
Printed for the AUTHOR;
And Sold by R. DODSLEY, in Pall-Mall; T. BECKET
and P. A. DE HONDT, in the Strand; J. DIXWELL
in St. Martin's-Lane, near Charing-Crofs;
AND
At Mr. BREMNER'S Mufic Shop, oppofite Somerfet
Houfe, in the Strand.
MDCCLXXII.
OF CONGRESS
Of the Antient Dance
Of Dancing in General
Of fundry Requifites for the Perfection of the Art
of Dancing
Some Thoughts on the Utility of Learning to Dance,
and efpecially upon the Minuet
Summary Account of various Kinds of Dances in
different Parts of the World
Of Pantomimes
WHAT I have here to fay is rather in the nature of an apology than of a preface or advertifement. The very title of a Treatife upon the art of dancing by a dancing-mafter, implicitly threatens fo much either of the exageration of the profeffion, or of the recommendation of himfelf, and most probably of both, that it cannot be improper for me to
A be-
in
A2 merit
ter-
One of the greateft and moft admired inftitutors of youth, whofe fine tafte has been allowed clear from the leaft tincture of pedantry, Quintilian recommends efpecially the talent of dancing, as conducive
to
Even that auftere critic, Scaliger, made the principles of it fo far his concern, that he was able perfonally to fatisfy an Emperor's curiofity, as to the nature and meaning
of
All this I mention purely to obviate the prepoffeffion of the art being fo frivolous, fo unworthy of the attention of the manly and grave, as it is vulgarly, or on a fuperficial view, imagined. It is not high notions of it that I am fo weak as to aim at impreffing; all that I wifh is to give juft ones: it being perhaps as little eligible, for want of confideration, to fee lefs in this art
than
A
In
moft of the nations among the antients, dancing was not only much practifed, but conftituted not even an inconfiderable part of their religious rites and ceremonies. The accounts we have of the facred dances, of the Jews efpecially, as well as of other nations, evidently atteft it.
B The
The Greeks, who probably took their firft ideas of this art, as they did of moft others, from Egypt, where it was in great efteem and practice, carried it up to a very high pitch. They were in general, in their bodies, extremely well conformed, and difpofed for this exercife. Many of them piqued themfelves on rivalling, in excellence of execution, the moft celebrated mafters of the art. That majeftic air, fo natural to them, while they preferved their liberty, the delicacy of their tafte, and the cultivated agility of their limbs, all qualified them for making an agreeable figure in this kind of entertainment. Nothing could be more graceful than the motion of their arms. They did not fo much regard the nimblenefs and capering with the legs and feet, on which we lay fo great a ftrefs. Attitude,
grace,
Their fteps and motions were all diftinct, clear, and neat; proceeding from a ftrength fo fuppled, as to give their joints all the requifite flexibility and obedience to command.
They did not fo much affect the moderately comic, or half ferious, as they did the great, the pompous, or heroic ftile of dance. They fpared for no pains nor coft, towards the perfection of their dances. The figures were exquifite. The leaft number of the figurers were forty or fifty. Their dreffes were magnificent and in tafte. Their decorations were fublime. A
B2 competent
The Greeks confidered dancing in another point of light; all their feftivals and games, which were in greater number than in other countries, were intermixed and heightened with dances peculiarly compofed in honor of their deities. From before their altars, and from their places of worfhip, they were foon introduced upon their theatres, to which they were undoubtedly a prior invention. The ftrophe, antiftrophe,
and
This
This folves, in a great meafure, the feeming abfurdity of their interference with the fubject of the drama: being deemed fo indifpenfable a part of the performance, that the fcene itfelf was hardly more fo: confequently, there was no fecret fuppofed to be more violated by fpeaking before them, than before the inanimate fcene itfelf. But what was at leaft excufable, on this footing, in the antients, would be an unpardonable abfurdity in the moderns.
Athenæus, who has left us an account of many of the antient dances, as the
Mactrifmus
, a dance entirely for the female fex, the
Moloffic
, the Perfian
Sicinnis
, &c. obferves, that in the earliest ages of antiquity, dancing was efteemed an exercife, not only not inconfiftent with decency and gravity,
but
Cautious as I am of ufing a falfe argument, I fhould fay, that the making dances a part of their religious ceremonies, was a mark of their attributing even a degree of fanctity to them; but that I am aware there were many things that found a place in their feftivals and games, which, among thofe heathens, were fo far from having any thing of facred in them, that they did not event fhow a refpect for common decency or morality.
But as, to dancing, it may be prefumed, that that exercife was confidered as having nothing intrinfically in it, contrary to purity of manners or chaftity,
fince
men
Such of thefe virgins as married, retained, in quality of wives, fuch a veneration for this fort of worfhip, that they formed an affembly of matrons, who on fet days, performed much the fame devotion, imploring, in concert, of the goddefs, a continuance of her gifts, and of that fpirit of purity, the fitteft to make them edifying examples of conjugal love and maternal tendernefs.
Innocent amufements having been ever reputed allowable, and even neceffary expedients for relaxing both mind
C and
The antients have left us an unaccountable defcription of the Bacchanalians, whofe deportment forms a ftriking contraft to the decent regularity obferved in the worfhip of Diana. The Bacchanalians ftrolled the country, and, in the courfe of that vagabond fcheme; erected temporary huts, their refidence being always fhort wherever they came. In their intoxication they feemed to defy all decency and order; affecting noife, and a kind of tumultuous, boifterous joy, in which there could never be any true pleafure or harmony.
mony.
C2 The
The Pirrhic dance differs not much from Plato's military dance. The invention of it is moft generally attributed to Pirrhus, fon of Achilles; at leaft this opinion is countenanced by Lucian, in his treatife upon dancing; though, it is moft probably derived from the Memphitic dance of Egypt. The manner of it was to dance armed to the found of inftruments. Xenophon takes notice of thefe dances in armour, efpecially among the Thracians, who were fo warlike a people. In their dance to mufic, they exhibited the imitation of a battle. They executed various evolutions; they feemed to wound each other mortally, fome falling down as if they had received their death-wound; while thofe who had given the blow fung to the fong of triumph, called
edSitalia
, and then withdrew, leaving the reft to take up their feeming dead comrade, and to make preparations for his mock-funeral, in the pantomime ftile of dance. He has alfo defcribed the dance of the Magnefians, in which they reprefented their tilling the ground, in an attitude, and in readinefs for defence, againft expected moroders. They put themfelves in a pofture of protecting their plough, with other motions expreffive of their refolution and courage, all adapted to the found of the flute. The moroders arrive, prevail, and bind the hufbandmen to their plough, and this terminates the dance. Sometimes the dance varies, and the husbandmen prevailing, bind the moroders.
The fame author mentions alfo the Myfians who danced in armour, and ufed a particular fort of
peliæ
or targets,
on
The Egyptians and Greeks were extravagantly expenfive in their public feftivals, of which, dancing always conftituted a confiderable part.
The Romans, among whom the more coarfe and licentious dances derived from the Hetrufcans, had at firft prevailed, came at length to adopt the improvements of tafte, and confequently of decency and regularity; the feftivals, of which dancing was to compofe the principal entertainment, were adapted to the feafon of the year.
Every autumn, for example, it was a conftant cuftom, for thofe who could
afford
the
I was fhown, by an Italian painter, a curious picture in his poffeffion, of the antients celebrating one of this kind of feftivals. The attitudes into which the figures were put, and which appeared to have been drawn for the conclufion of the ball, were beautiful beyond imagination.
In winter there were balls in the city of Rome; for which the appropriated apartments were commodious; and where the illuminations were fo great, that notwithftanding the ufual rigor of that feafon, the room was fufficiently warm.
Round the room there were tables and ftands, on which was placed the defert; and there were generally twelve perfons
fons
By the beft accounts procurable, their ferious dances were properly interfperfed and inlivened with comic movements. Their firft fteps were folemn and majeftic, and, by couples they turned under each other's arms; and when the whole thus turned together, they could not but afford a pleafing fight. After which they refumed the ferious again, and fo proceeded alternately till they concluded the dance.
In the fpring, the country became naturally the fcene of their dances. The beft companies reforted, efpecially to
D fuch
Sum-
Summer was however the feafon in which the pleafure of dancing was carried to the higheft pitch. For the fcene of it, they chofe a fhady and delightful part of a wood, where the funfhine could not incommode them, and where care was taken to clear the ground underfoot, for their performance. A young lady of the moft eminence for rank and beauty was chofen to perfonate the goddefs Ceres. Her drefs was of an exquifite tafte, ornamented with tufts of gold, in imitation of wheat-fheaves: while her head was decked with a kind of crown compofed of fpangles, reprefenting the ears of ripe corn, and perhaps, for the greater fimplicity, of the natural grain itfelf. Thofe who danced round her, all wore wreaths of the choiceft flowers, and were dreffed in white, with their hair flowing loofe, in the ftile of wood-nimphs. On this
D2 occa-
I have myfelf feen a drawing of this rural dance, in which I counted no lefs than fixty performers.
The celebrated Pilades is mentioned to have been the great improver of this dance. He excluded from it all jumping or capering, for fear of violating or of disfiguring the graceful regularity of
the
Not lefs than two months were the ufual time of preparation for this dance, to which there was always a confluence of perfons from all the neighbouring parts. But none were allowed the liberty of dancing, except perfons of the firft rank and diftinction in the country; the whole being regulated by fome perfon acting in quality of
choragus
, or director of the dance.
The reign of Auguftus Cæfar was undoubtedly the epoch, of the eftablifhment in Rome, of the art of dancing in its greateft fplendor. Cahufac, an ingenious French author, in his hiftorical treatife of this art, affigns to that emperor a deep political defign in giving it
fo
ferious
Thefe alfo founded a kind of academies of dancing, which produced feveral eminent artifts, but none that ever equalled themfelves in performance or reputation. What hiftory records of them, and of their powers, as well is of that theatrical pantomime dance, of which they were the introductors, in Rome, would exceed belief, if it was not attefted by fuch a number of authors as leave no room to think it an impofition.
But as to dancing itfelf, either confidered in a religious, or in only an amufive light, it may be pronounced to have been among the Romans, as old as Rome itfelf, and like that rude in its beginnings, but to have received gradual
dual
Proceffional dances were alfo much in vogue among that people. They had efpecially an anniverfary ceremony or proceffion, called, from its pre-eminence, fingly,
Pompa
, or the Pomp.
It was celebrated, in commemoration of a victory obtained over the Latians, the news of which was faid to have been brought by Caftor and Pollux, in perfon. This feftival, was, at firft, confecrated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. But it was afterwards made more general, and celebrated in honor of all the Gods. This proceffion was in the month of September. It began at the temple of
Jupiter Capitolinus
, proceeded to the
Forum Romanum
, from thence to the
Velabrum
, and
after-Grand Circus
. You have in Onuphrius Panvinius, the order of this proceffion at large, of which the directors were the chief magiftrates of the city: the fons of the nobility leading the van. Thofe of the Equeftrian order, whofe fathers were worth a hundred and fifty thoufand fefterces, followed on horfeback. It would be here foreign from my purpofe to give the whole defcription of this proceffion, and of thofe who compofed it. It is fufficient to obferve, that proceffional dancing conftituted a confiderable part of it. The Pirrhic dance, executed to a martial air, called the
Proceleumaticus
, employed the men of arms. Thefe were followed by perfons who danced and leaped, in the manner of Satirs, fome of them in the drefs afcribed to
Silenus
, attended by performers on inftruments adapted to
E thatSalü
, or priefts of Mars, fo called from their making facred dances in honor of that God, the moft confiderable part of their worfhip; thefe were headed by their mafter or
Præful
, the leader of the dance; a term afterwards affumed by the Chriftian Prelates. There were alfo the
Salian
virgins, befides another divifion of the
Salü
called
Agonenfes
or
Collini
.
Nor is the proceffional dancing any thing furprizing; concerning that among the heathens, and even among the
Hebrews,
The heathens ufed efpecially to form dances before their altars, and round the ftatues of their gods. The
Salü
, or priefts of Mars, whofe dances were fo framed as to give an idea of military exercife and activity, threw into their performance fteps fo expreffive and majeftic, as not only to defend their motions and geftures from any idea of levity and burlefque, which it is fo natural for the moderns to affociate with that of dancing, but even to infpire the beholders with refpect and a religious awe. The priefts chofen for this function, were always perfons of the nobleft aspect, fuitable to the dignity
E2 ofchoir
to thofe parts of the church now only appropriated to the reading of the divine fervice, and to finging. In Spain, it long remained an eftablifhed cuftom for Chriftians to affemble in the church-porches, where, in honor of God, they fang facred himns, and to the tunes of them, performed dances, that were extremely pleafing, for the decent and beautiful fimplicity of the execution. All which I mention purely to falve that inconsistence,
fiftence,
They are both natural expreffions of joy and feftivity; and as fuch they thought neither of them improper in an addrefs of gratulation to the deity, whom they fuppofed rather pleafed at fuch innocent oblations of the heart, exulting in his manifold bounties and bleffings.
From before the altar, among the heathens, the admiffion of dances upon the theatre, was rather an extenfion of their power to entertain, than a total change of their deftination; fince the theatres themfelves were dedicated to
theof the heathen deities
, of which their making a part was one of the principal objections of the primitive Chriftians to the theatres themfelves. However, it was from the theatres that dancing received its great and capital improvement.
As an exercife, the virtue of dancing was well known to the antients, for its keeping up the ftrength and agility of the human body. There is a remark which I fubmit to the confideration of the reader, that it is not impoffible but that the antient Romans, who were, generally fpeaking, low in ftature, and yet were eminently ftrong, owed that advantage to their cultivation of bodily exercife. This kept their limbs fupple, and rendered their conftitution ftout and hardy. Now, very laborious exercifes would rather wear out
the
Certain it is then, that among the Romans, even in the moft martial days of
that
OF
This
is one of the arts, in which as in all the reft, the ftudy of nature is efpecially to be recommended. She is an unerring guide. She gives that harmony, that power of pleafing to the productions of thofe who confult her, which fuch as neglect her muft never expect. They will furnifh nothing but monfters and difcordances; or, at the beft, but fometimes lucky hits, without meaning or connexion.
F All
All the imitative arts acknowledge this principle.
In Poetry, a happy choice of the moft proper words for expreffing the fentiments and images drawn from the obfervation of nature, conftitutes the principal object of the poet.
In Painting, the difpofition of the fubject, the refemblance of the coloring to that of the original, in fhort the greateft poffible adherence to nature, is the merit of that art.
In Mufic, that expreffion of the paffions which fhould raife the fame in the hearer, whether of joy, affliction, tendernefs, or pity, can never have its effect without marking and adopting the refpective founds of each paffion as they are furnifhed by nature.
In
In Dancing, the attitudes, geftures, and motions derive alfo their principle from nature, whether they caracterife joy, rage, or affection, in the bodily expreffion refpectively appropriated to the different affections of the foul. A confideration this, which clearly proves the miftake of thofe, who imagine the art of dancing folely confined to the legs, or even arms; whereas the expreffion of it fhould be pantomimically diffufed through the whole body, the face efpecially included.
Monfieur Cahufac, in his ingenious treatife on this art, has very juftly obferved, that both finging and dancing muft have exifted from the primeval times; that is to fay, from the firft of the exiftence of human-kind itfelf.
F2 Obferve,
“Obferve, fays he, the tender children, " from their entry into the world, " to the moment in which their reafon " unfolds itfelf, and you will fee that " it is primitive nature herfelf, that " manifefts herfelf in the found of " their voice, in the features of their " face, in their looks, in all their motions. " Mark their fudden palenefs, " their quick contortions, their piercing " cries, when their foul is affected " by a fenfation of pain. Obferve " again, their engaging fmile, their " fparkling eyes, their rapid motions, " when it is moved by a fentiment of " pleafure. You will then be clearly " perfuaded of the principles of mufic " and dancing proceeding from the " beginning of the world down to " us.”
Certain
Certain it is, that even in children, the motions and gefture, ftrongly paint nature; and their infantine graces are not unworthy the remarks of an artift, who will be fure to find exellence in no way more obtainable than by a rational ftudy of her, where fhe is the pureft.
The cultivation of the natural graces, and a particular care to fhun all affectation, all caricature, unlefs in comic or grotefque dances, cannot be too much recommended to thofe who wifh to make any figure in this art. It is doing a great injuftice to it, to place its excellence in capers, in brilliant motions of the legs, or in the execution of difficult fteps, without meaning or fignificance, which require little more than ftrength and agility.
I
I have already obferved, that the Greeks, who were fo famous for this art, as indeed for moft others, which is no wonder, fince all the arts have fo acknowledged an affinity with each other, ftudied efpecially grace and dignity in the execution of their dances. That levity of capering, that nimblenefs of the legs, which we fo much admire, held no rank in their opinion. They were inconfiftent with that clearnefs of expreffion, and neatnefs of motion, of which they principally made a point. The great beauty of movements, or fteps, is, for every one of them to be diftinct; not huddled and running into one another, fo as that one fhould begin before the precedent one is finifhed. This fo neceffary avoidance of puzzled or ambiguous motion, can only be compaffed by an attention to fignificance and juftnefs of
action.
This the Greeks could the better effectuate, from their preference of the fublime, or ferious ftile; which, having fo much lefs of quicknefs or rapidity of execution, than the comic dance, admits of more attention to the neat expreffivenefs of every motion, gefture, attitude, or ftep.
As
As to the great nicety of the Greeks, in the ordering and difpofing their dances, I refer to what I have before faid, for its being to be obferved, how much at prefent this art is fallen fhort of their perfection in it, and how difficult it muft be for a composer of dances to produce them in that mafterly manner they were ufed to be performed among the antients. Let his talent for invention or compofition be never fo rich or fertile, it will be impoffible for him to do juftice in the difplay, unlefs he is feconded by performers well verfed in the art, and efpecially expert in giving the expreffion of their part in the dance; not to mention the collateral aids of mufic, machinery, and decoration, which it is fo requifite to adapt to the fubject.
But
But where all thefe points so neceffary are duly fupplied, and dancing is executed in all its brilliancy, it would be no longer looked upon, efpecially at the Opera, as merely an expletive between the acts, juft to afford the fingers a little breathing time. The dances might recover their former luftre, and give the public the fame pleafure as to the Greeks and Romans, who made of them one of their moft favorite entertainments, and carried them up to the higheft pitch of tafte and excellence.
The Romans feem to have followed the Greeks, in this paffion for dancing; and the theatrical dances, upon the pantomime plan, were in Rome pufhed to fuch a degree of perfection as is even hard to conceive. Whole tragedies plaid, act by act, fcene by fcene, in pantomime expreffion, give an idea of this
G art,
Every ftep in dancing has its name and value. But not one fhould be employed in a vague unmeaning manner. All the movements fhould be conformable to the expreffion required, and in harmony with one another. The fteps regular, and properly varied, with a graceful fupplenefs in the limbs, a certain ftrength, addrefs, and agility; juft pofitions exhibited with eafe, delicacy, and above all, with propriety, caracterife the mafterly dancer, and in their union, give to his execution its due beauty. The leaft negligence in any of thefe points, is immediately felt, and detracts from the merit of the performance. Every ftep or motion that is not natural, or has any thing of ftiffnefs, conftraint, or affectation, is inftinctively perceived
ceived
But in this obfervation I pretend to no more than juft furnifhing a general idea of the requifites towards the execution: the particulars, it is impoffible, to give in verbal defcription, or even by choregraphy or dances in fcore.
Many who pretend to underftand the art of dancing, confound motions of ftrength, with thofe of agility, miftaking ftrength for flight, or flight for ftrength; tho' fo different in their nature. It is the fpring of the body, in harmony with fenfe, that gives the great power
G2 to
The motion of the arms is as effential, at leaft, as that of the legs, for an expreffive attitude: and both receive their juftnefs from the nature of the paffions they are meant to exprefs. The paffions are the fprings which muft actuate the machine, while a clofe observation of nature furnifhes the art of giving to thofe motions the grace of eafe and expertnefs. Any thing that, on the ftage efpecially, has the air of being forced, or improper, cannot fail of having a bad effect. A frivolous, affected turn of the wrift, is surely no grace.
One
One of the moft nice and difficult points of the art of dancing is, certainly, the management and difplay of the arms; the adapting their motion to the character of the dance. In this many are too arbitrary in forming rules to themfelves, without confulting nature, which would not fail of fuggefting to them the jufteft movements. For want of this appropriation of gefture and attitude, the movements fit for one character are indiftinctly employed in the reprefentation of another. And into this error thofe will be fure to fall, who deviate from the unerring principles, of nature; which has for every character an appropriate ftrain of motion and gefture.
Nothing then has a worfe effect, than any impropriety in the management of the arms: it gives to the eye,
the
There are fome who move their arms with a tolerably natural grace, without knowing the true rules rifing out of nature into art: but where the advantage of theory gives yet a greater fecurity, confequently a greater eafe and a nobler freedom to the motions of the performer; the performance cannot but meet, with fuller approbation. And yet it may be as bad to fhow too much art, as to have too little. The point is to employ no more of art than juft what ferves to grace nature, but never to hide or obfcure her.
Great, is the difference between the antient and the modern dances. The antient ones were full of fublime fimplicity. But that fimplicity was far
from
This
This primitive fource then muft be ftudied, known, and well attended to; or we only follow the art blindly, and without certainty. Thence the common indifference of fo many performers, who mind nothing more than a rote of the art, without tracing it to its origin, nature.
To fucceed, we muft abandon the falfe tafte and embrace the true; which is not only the best guide to perfection; but when rendered familiar, by much the moft easy and the moft delightful. It has all the advantages that truth has over falfhood.
The greater the fimplicity of fteps in a dance, the more, beautiful it is; and requires the more attention in the performer to exactnefs and delicacy; for flownefs and neatness being in the
character
If the merit of a theatrical dancer were to confift, as many imagine, in nothing but in the motions of the legs, in cutting, lively or brilliant capers, in furprizing fteps, in the agility of the body, in vigorous fprings, in vaulting, in a tolerable management of the arms, and efpecially in being well acquainted with thofe parts of the ftage where the perfpective gives him the greateft advantage; the art of dancing might be, as it is generally looked upon to be, an art eafily acquired. Whereas, for the attaining to a juft perfection in it, there
H are
Nor fhould it be imagined that the fimplicity I recommend, tends to fave the compofer of dances any trouble of invention: on the contrary, that fort of fimplicity of; execution intended to produce, by means of its adherence to nature, the greateft effect, will coft him more pains, more exertion of genius, than thofe dances of which the falfe brilliants of extravagant decoration, and of mere agility without meaning or expreffion, conftitute the merit. It is with the compofition of dances, as with that of mufic, the plaineft and the moft ftriking, are ever the moft difficult to the compofer.
The
The comic, or grottefque dancers, indeed are in poffeffion of branch of this art, in which they are difpenfed from exhibiting the ferious or pathe tic; however, they may be otherwife as well acquainted with the fundamental principles of the art, as the beft mafters. But as their fuccefs depends chiefly on awakening the rifible faculty, they commonly chufe to throw their whole powers of execution into thofe motions, geftures, grimaces; and contortions, which are fitteft to give pleafure by the raifing a laugh. And certainly this has its merit; but in no other proportion to the truth of the art, which confifts in moving the nobler paffions, than as farce is to tragedy or to genteel comedy. They are in this art of dancing, what Hemfkirk and Teniers are in that of painting.
H2 The
The painter, can only in his draught prefent one fingle unvaried attitude in each perfonage that he paints: but it is the duty of the dancer, to give, in his own perfon, a fucceffion of attitudes, all like thofe of the painter, taken from nature.
Thus a painter who fhould paint Oreftes agitated by the furies, can only give him one fingle expreffion of his countenance and pofture: but a dancer, charged with the reprefentation of that character, can, feconded by a well-adapted mufic, execute a fucceffion of motions and attitudes, that will mote ftrongly and furely with more livelinefs, convey the idea of that character, with all its tranfports of fury and diforder.
It
It was in this light, that the antients required the, union of the actor and of the dancer in the fame perfon. They expected, on the theatre efpecially, dances of character, that fhould exprefs to the eye the fenfations of the soul: without which, they confidered it as nothing but an art that had left nature behind it; a mere corpfe without the animating fpirit; or at the beft, carrying with it a character of falfity or tafteleffnefs. A thorough mafter of dancing, fhould, in every motion of every limb convey fome meaning; or rather be all expreffion or pantomime, to his very fingers ends.
How many requifites muft concur to form an accomplifhed poffeffion of this talent! It is not enough that the head fhould play on the fhoulders with all the grace of a fine connection; nor
that
thefe
Thofe who would make any confiderable progrefs in this art, fhould, above all things, ftudy justness of action. They cannot therefore too clofely attend to the reprefentation of nature,
either
As to the different characters of dances, there are, properly fpeaking, four divifions of the characters of dances: the ferious, the half ferious, the-comic, and the grottefque; but for executing any of them with grace, the artift fhould be well grounded in the principles of the ferious dance, which will give him what may be called a delicacy of manner in all the reft.
But as one of thefe divifions may be more adapted to the humor, genius, or powers of an artift, than another, he fhould, if he aims at excellence; examine carefully for which it is that he is the moft fit.
After
After determining which, whatever imperfections he may have from nature, he muft fet about correcting, as well as he can, by art. Nothing will hardly be found impoffible for him to fubdue, by an unfhaken refolution, and an intenfe application.
Happy indeed is that artift, in whom both the requifites of nature and art are united: but where the firft is not grofsly deficient, it may be supplemented by the fecond. However well a beginner may be qualified for this profeffion by nature, if he does not cultivate the talent duly, he furpaffed by another, inferior natural endowments, but who fhall have taken pains to acquire what was wanting to him, or to improve where
I deficient.
The helps of a lively imagination, joined to great and affiduous practice, carry the art to the higheft perfection. But practice will give no eminent diftinction without ftudy. Whoever fhall flatter himfelf with forming himfelf by practice, alone, without the true principles and fufficient grounds of the art, can only proceed upon a rote of tradition, which may appear infallible to him. But this adoption of unexamined rules, and this plodding on in a beaten track, will never lead to any thing great or eminent. It carries with it always fomething of the ftiffness of a copy, without any thing of the graceful boldnefs of originality, or of the ftrokes of genius.
Vanity
Vanity fhould never miflead a man in the judgment he forms of his own talents: much lefs fhould an artift refort to the meannefs of depending in the sufport of cabals: it muft be the general approbation that muft feal his patent of merit.
I have before obferved that the grave or ferious ftile of dancing, is the great ground-work of the art. It is alfo the moft difficult. Firmnefs of ftep, a graceful and regular motion of all the parts, fupplenefs, eafy bendings and rifings, the Whole accompanied with a good air, and managed with the greateft eafe of expertnefs and dexterity, conftitute the merit of this kind of dancing. The foul itself fhould be feen in every motion of the body, and exprefs fomething naturally noble, and even
I2 heroic.
The painter draws, or ought to draw copy, the actor his action, and ftatuary his model, all from the truth nature. They are all refpectively profeffors of imitative arts; and the dancer may well prefume to take rank among them, fince the imitation of nature is not lefs his duty than theirs; with this difference, that they have fome advantages of which the dancer is deftitute. The Painter has time to fettle and correct his attitudes, but the dancer muft be exactly bound to the time of the mufic. The actor has the affistance of fpeech and the ftatuary has all the time requifite to model his work. The dancer's effect is not only that of a moment, but he muft every moment reprefent a fucceffion of motions and
attitudes,
In the half-ferious ftile we obferve vigor, lightnefs, agility, brilliant fprings, with a fteadinefs and command of the body. It is the beft kind of dancing for expreffing the more general theatrical fubjects. It alfo pleafes more generally.
The
The grand pathetic of the ferious ftile, of dancing is not what every one enters into. But all are pleafed with a brilliant execution, in the quick motion of the legs, and the high fprings of the body. A paftoral dance, reprefented in all the pantomime art, will be commonly preferred to the more ferious ftile, though this laft requires doubtlefs the greateft excellence: but it is an excellence of which few but the connoiffeurs are judges; who are rarely numerous enough to encourage the compofer of dances to form them entirely in that ftile. All that he can do is to take a great part of his attitudes from the ferious ftile, but to give them another turn and air in the compofition; that he may avoid confounding the two different ftiles of ferious and half-ferious. For this laft,
it
The comic dancer is not tied up to the fame rules or obfervations as are neceffary to the ferious and half-ferious ftiles. He is not fo much obliged to ftudy what may be called nature high life. The rural fports, and exercifes; the geftures of various mechanics or artificers will fupply him with ideas for the execution of characters in this branch. The more his motions, fteps, and attitudes are taken from nature, the more they will be fure to pleafe.
The comic dance has for object the exciting mirth; whereas, on the contrary, the ferious ftile aims more at soothing and captivating by the harmony and juftnefs of its movement;
by
The comic ftile, however its aim may be laughter, requires tafte, delicacy, and invention; and that the mirth it creates fhould not even be without wit. This depends not only upon the execution, but on the choice of the fubject. It is not enough to value onefelf upon a clofe imitation of nature, if the fubject chofen for imitation is not worth imitating, or improper to reprefent; that is to fay, either trivial, indifferent, confequently uninterefting; or difguftful and unpleafing. The one tires, the other fhocks. Even in the loweft claffes of life, the compofer muft feize only what is the fitteft to give fatisfaction; and omit whatever can excite difagreeable ideas. It is from the animal joy of mechanics
chanics
Even contrafting characters, which are fo feldom attempted on the ftage, in theatrical dances, might not have a bad effect; whereas moft of the figures in them are fimmetrically coupled. Of the firft I once faw in Germany a ftriking inftance; an inftance that ferved to confirm that affinity between the arts which renders them fo ferviceable to one another.
K Passing
Paffing through the Electorate of Cologne, I obferved a number of perfons of all ages, affembled on a convenient fpot, and difpofed, in couples, in order for dancing; but fo odly paired that the moft ugly old man, had for his partner the moft beautiful and youngeft girl in the company, while, on the contrary, the moft decrepid, deformed old woman, was led by the moft handfome and vigorous youth. Inquiring the reafon of fo ftrange a groupe of figures, I was told that it was the humor of an eminent painter, who was preparing a picture for the gallery at Duffeldorp, the fubject of which was to be this contraft; and that in order to take his draught from nature, he had given a treat to this ruftic company, in the defign of exhibiting at one view, the floridnefs of youth contrafted to the weaknefs and infirmities of old age, in a
moral
I have mentioned this purely to point out a new refource of invention, that may throw a pleafing variety into the compofition of dances; and fave them from too conftant a fimmetry, or uniformity, either of drefs or figure, in the pairing the dancers: by which I am as far from meaning that that fimmetry fhould be always neglected, as that it fhould be always obferved.
The comic dance, having then the diverfion of the fpectator, in the way of laughing, for its object, fhould preferve a moderately buffoon fimplicity, and the dancer, aided by a natural genius, but efpecially by throwing as
K2 much
As to the grotefque stile of dance, the effect of it chiefly depends on the leaps and height of the fprings. There is more of bodily ftrength required in it than even of agility and flight. It is more calculated to furprize the eye, then to entertain it. It has fomething of the tumbler's, or wire-dancer's merit of difficulty and danger, rather than of art. But the worft of it is, that this vigor and agility laft no longer than the feafon of youth, or rather decreafe in proportion as age advances, and, by this
means
they
They will not otherwife get at the truth of their art, like him who qualifies himfelf for making a figure in the ferious, and half-ferious ftiles, which alfo contribute to diffufe a grace over every other kind of dancing, however different from them.
But though the grotefque may be a caricature of nature, it is never to lofe fight of it. It muft ever bear a due relation to the objects of which it attempts to exhibit the imitation, however exagerated. But in this it is for genius to direct the artift. And it is very certain that this kind of dancing, well executed, affords to the public, great entertainment in the way, if
what
OF
I HAVE already obferved how neceffary it is that all the fteps, in the theatrical dances, which have imitation for their object, fhould be intelligible at the firft glance of the eye.
L This
But
But to give a fentiment, a man muft have it firft: where a pathetic fentiment is well poffeffed of the mind, the expreffion of it is diffused over the whole body.
The theatre fhows to advantage a well proportioned dancer. A tall perfon appears the more majeftic on it; but thofe of a middling ftature are more generally fit for every character; and may make up in gracefulnefs what they want in fize. The remarkably tall commonly want the graces to be feen in thofe of the more general ftandard.
A young dancer who difplays a dawn of genius, cannot be too much exhorted to deliver himfelf up to the power of nature; fo that acquiring a particular manner of his own, he may himfelf proceed on original. If he would hope
L2 to
Where a dancer undertakes to reprefent a fubject on the theatre, he muft ground his plan of performance on the felecting all the moft proper fituations for furnifhing the moft ftrikingly pictures, profpects, and confequently, producing the greateft effect.
This was doubtlefs the great fecret of Pilades, the founder, at leaft in Rome, of the pantomime art. It was on this choice of fituations, that the
under-
And here, upon mentioning the pantomime art, be it allowed me to defend it againft the objections made to it, by those who confider it only under a partial or vulgar point of view.
If any one fhould pretend that the pantomime art is fuperior to the actor's power of reprefentation in tragedy or comedy, or that fuch an entertainment of dumb fhow ought to exclude that of fpeaking characters; nothing could be more ridiculous or abfurd than fuch a proposition.
That indeed would be rejecting one of the moft noble improvements of nature, in favor of an art rather calculated
culated
Thofe fubjects, whether ferious or comic, which are executed by dances, or in the pantomime ftrain, are chiefly intended for the throwing a variety into theatrical entertainments, without difputing any honors of rank.
The very fame perfon who fhall have at one time, taken pleafure in feeing and hearing the noble and pathetic fentiments of tragedy, or the ridicule of human follies in a good comedy, finely reprefented, may, without any fort of inconfiftence, not be difpleafed at feeing, at another time, a fubject executed in dances, while the mufic, the decorations, all contribute to the happy diverfification of his entertainment.
ment.
Nor is there perhaps, in the world, an art more the genuine offspring of Nature, more under her immediate command, than the art of dancing. For to fay nothing of that dancing, which has no relation to the theatre, and which is her principal demonftrations of joy and feftivity, the theatrical branch acknowledges her for its great and capital guide. All the motions, all the geftures, all the attitudes, all the looks, can have no merit, but in their faithful imitation of Nature: while man himfelf, man, the nobleft of her productions, is ever the fubject which the
dancer
The painter prefents man in one fixed attitude, with no more of life than the draught and colors can give to his figure: the dancer exhibits him in a fucceffion of attitudes, and, inftead of painting with the brufh, paints, furely more to the life, with his own perfon. A dance in action, is not only a moving picture, but an animated one: while to the eloquence of the tongue, it fubftitute that of the whole body.
The art, viewed in this light, fhows how Comparatively little the merelymechanical part of it, the agility of the legs and body, contributes to the accomplifhment of the dancer; however neceffary that alfo is. We might foon form a dancer, if the art confifted only in his being taught
to
There are many young beginners, who, looking off this art as a good way of livelihood, enter on the rudiments of it, with great ardor. But this ardor foon abates, in proportion, as they advance, and find there is more ftudy and pains required from them than they expected to find, towards their arrival at any tolerable degree of
M perfection.
to
Certainly the beft feafon of life, for the ftudy of this art, is, as for that of moft others, for obvious reafons, the time of one's youth. It is the beft time of laying the foundation both of theory and practice.
But the theory fhould efpecially be attended to, without however neglecting the practice. For though a dancer by an affiduous practice, may, at
L. of C. M2 the
A mafter does not do his duty by his pupil, in this art, if he fails of ftrongly inculcating to him the neceffity of ftudying thofe principles; and of kindling in him that ardor for attaining to excellence, which if it is not itfelf genius, it is certain that no genius will do much without it.
Invention
Invention is alfo as much a requifite in our art as in any other. But to fave the pains of ftudy, we often borrow and copy from another. Indolence is the bane of our art. The trouble of thinking neceffary to the invention and compofition of dances, appears to many too great a fatigue: this engages them to appropriate to themfelves the fruits of other peoples invention; and they appear to themfelves well provided at a fmall expence, when they have made free with the productions of others. Some again, inftead of cultivating their talent, chufe indolently to follow the great torrent of the fafhion, and ftick to the old tracks, without daring to ftrike out any thing new, fo that their prejudices are, in fact, the principles by which they are governed, and which fometimes ferves them for their excufe; fince they know
better,
As for thofe who borrow from others, content with being copies, when they ought to ftrive to be originals; nothing can more obftruct their progrefs in difcoveries of the depths of their art, than this fcheme of fubfifting on the merit of others.
Many, befides those who are incapable of invention, are tempted at once by their indolence, and by the hope of not being difcovered or minded in their borrowing from others, to give ftale or hackneyed compofitions, which having feen in one country, they
flatter
It is this barrennefs of invention: that the ingenious Goldoni has fo well expofed in one of his plays, in the following fpeech, addreffed to a young man.
“ Per efempio vendra fora la ballerina, colla rocca, filando, ò con un fecchio à trar l'acqua, ò con una zappa à zappar. El voftro compagno vendra fora ò colla cariola à portar qualche cosa, ò colla falce à tagliar il grano, ò colla pipa a fumar, e fi ben, che la fcena foffe una fala, tanto e tanto, fe vien a far da contadini ò da marinari. El voftro compagno non vi vedra; voi andarete a cercarlo, 'e el vi fcacciera via. Gli batterete una man fu la fpalla, ed el con un falto anderà dall'altra banda. Voigli correrete dietro, lui fe fcampera, e voi anderete in collera. Quando voi farete in collera, a lui le vendra la voglia di far pace, e lui vi preghera, voi lo fcacciarete. Scamparete via, e lui vi correra dietro. El fe inginocchiera, farete pace, voi, menando I pedini, l'invitarete a ballar: anche ello, menando I piedi, a fegni dira, “balliamo,” e tirandovi indietro allegramente cominciarete el
dancer;
Pas-de-deux. La prima parte allegra, la fegonda grave, la terza una giga. Procurarete di cacciargli dentro fei o fette delle migliori arie di ballo che s'abbiano fentito; farete tutti i paffi che fapete fare, e che fia il
Pas-de-deux o da paefana, o da giardinera, o da Granatiera, o da ftatue, i paffi faranno fempre gli ifteffi, correrfe dietro, fcampar, pianger, andar in collera, far pace, tirar i bracci fopra la tefta, faltar in tempo e fora di tempo, menar gli bracci, e le gambe, e la tefta, e la vita, e le fpalle, e fopra tutto rider fempre col popolo, e ftorcer un pochetto il collo quando fi paffa proffimo i lumi, e fare delle belle fmorfie all udienza, e una bella riverenza in ultima.
fpade
N " filled
“There
“Then handing you backwards to " the top of the ftage, you will begin " gaily a
Pas-de-deux
, or Duet dance. " The firft part will be lively, the fecond " grave, the third a jig. You will " have taken care to procure fix or feven " of the beft airs for a dance, put together, " that can be imagined. You " will execute all the fteps that you are " miftrefs of; and let your character in " the Pas-de-deux, be that of a country " wench, a gardener's fervant, a granadier's " trull, or a ftatue; the fteps " will be always the fame; and the " fame actions for ever repeated; fuch " as running after one another, dodging, " crying, falling in a paffion, " making peace again, bringing the " arms over the head, jumping in and " out of time, fhaking legs and arms, " the head, the body, the fhoulders, " and efpecially fmirking and ogling
N2 " round
Nothing however would more obftruct the progrefs of this art, than thus contenting one felf with adopting the productions of others. It even would, in the difguft which repetition occafions, bring on the decline of this entertainment, in the opinion of a public which is always fond of novelty.
And of novelty, the beauties of nature furnifh an inexhauftible fund, in their infinite variety. Among thefe it is the bufinefs of the artift to chufe fuch as can be brought upon
the
The
The looks of the dancer are far from infignificant to the character he is reprefenting. Their expreffion fhould be ftrictly conformable to his fubject. The eye efpecially fhould fpeak. Thence it is that the Italian cuftom of dancing with uncovered faces, cannot but be more advantageous than that of dancing mafked, as is commonly done in France; when the paffion can never be fo well represented as by the changes of expreffion, which the dancer fhould throw into his countenance.
And it is by thefe changes of countenance, as well as of attitude and gefture, that the dancer can exprefs the gradations of the paffion; whereas the painter is confined intirely to one passion, that of the particular moment, in which he will have chofen
to
ceffion
A mafk then cannot but hide a great part of the neceffary expreffion, or juftnefs of action. It can only be favorable to thofe who have contracted ill habits of grimacing or of contortions of the face while they perform.
There are however fome characters in which a mafk is even neceffary: but then great care fhould be taken to model and fit it as exactly as poffible to the face, as well as to have it perfectly natural to the character reprefented. The French are particularly, and not without reafon, curious in this point.
The
The female dancers have naturally a greater eafe of expreffion than the men. More pliable in their limbs, with more fenfibility in the delicacy of their frame; all their motions and actions are more tenderly pathetic, more interefting than in our fex. We are befides prepoffeffed in their favor, and lefs difpofed to remark or cavil at their faults. While on the other hand, that fo natural defire they have of pleafing, independently of their profeffion, makes them ftudioufly avoid any motion or gefture that might be difagreeable, and confequently any contortion of the face. They, inftinctively then, one may fay, make a point of the moft graceful expreffion.
A woman, who fhould only depend on the exertion of ftrength in her legs or limbs, without attention to expreffion,
O preffion,
The female dancers have alfo an advantage over the men, in that the petticoat can conceal many defects in their execution; even, if the indulgence due to that amiable fex, did not only make great allowances, but give to the leaft agreeable fteps in them, the power of obtaining applaufe.
At the Italian theatres at Rome, in the Carnaval, where the female dancers are not fuffered to perform the dances, and where the parts of the women are perform'd by men in the dreffes of women,
it
But however the confulting a looking-glafs gives to men, in general, the air of fops or coxcombs; it is to thofe who would make a figure in dancing a point of neceffity. A glafs is to them, what reflexion is to a thinking perfon; it ferves to make them acquainted with their defects, and to correct them. To practice then before it is even recommendable,
O2 mendable,
Education has doubtlefs a great fhare in giving early to the body a command of graceful pofitions, efpecially for the grand and ferious dances, which, as I have before obferved, are the principal grounds of the art. And once more, the great point is not to ftick at mediocrity; but to aim at an excellence in the art, that may give at leaft the beft chance for not being confounded with the croud. If it is true, that, among the talents, thofe which are calculated for pleafing, are not
thofe
In fupport of this admonition, I am here tempted to enliven this effay with the narrative of an adventure in real life, that may ferve to break the too long a line of an attempt at inftruction.
A celebrated female dancer in Italy, defigning to perform at a certain capital, wrote to her correfpondent there to provide her apartment fuitable to the genteel figure which fhe had always made in life. On her arrival, her acquaintance feeing fhe had brought nothing with her, but her own perfon and two fervants,
vants,
Curiofity carried a number early to the rendezvous, where, after an elegant breakfast, fhe got up, and danced before them in a moft furprizingly charming manner.
“These, faid fhe, (pointing at her " legs,) are all the baggage I have left; " the Alps have fwallowed up all the " reft.” The truth was, fhe had been really robbed of her baggage in her journey, and the merchandize on which
fhe
As to the compofition of dances, it is impoffible for a profeffor of this art, to make any figure without a competent ftock of original ideas, reducible into practice. A dance fhould be a kind of regular dramatic poem to be executed by dancing, in a manner fo clear, as to give to the underftanding of the fpectator no trouble in making out the meaning of the whole, or of any part of it. All
ambiguity
Clearnefs then is one of the principal points of merit which the compofer should have in view; if the effect, refulting from the choice and difpofition of the ground-work of his drama, does honor to his inventivenefs or tafte; the juftnefs, with which every character is to be performed, is not lefs effential to the fuccefs of his production, when carried into execution.
To be well affured of this, it cannot but be neceffary that the compofer
pofer
He muft alfo, in his compofition, be pre-affured of all the neceffaries for their complete execution. Otherwife decorations either deficient or not well adapted; an infufficient number of performers, or their being bad ones; or, in fhort, the fault of a manager, who, through a mifplaced economy, would not allow the requifite expences; all thefe, or any of thefe, might ruin the compofition, and the compofer might, after taking all imaginable pains to pleafe, find his labor abortive, and himfelf condemned for what he could not help. There is no exhibiting with fuccefs any entertainment of this fort without having
P ing
A good ballet-mafter muft efpecially have regard to both poetical and picturefque invention; his aim being to unite both thofe arts under one exhibition. The poetical part of the compofition being neceffary to furnifh a well-compofed piece that fhall begin with a clear expofition, and proceed unfolding itfelf to the conclufion, in fituations well chofen, and well expreffed. The picturefque part is alfo highly, effential for the formation of the fteps, attitudes, geftures, looks, grouping the performers, and planning their evolutions; all for the greateft and jufteft effect.
He
He fhould himfelf be thoroughly ftruck with his initial idea, which will lead him to the fecond, and fo on methodically until the whole is concluded, without having recourfe to a method juftly exploded by the beft mafters, that of choregraphy or noting dances, which only ferves to obftruct and infrigidate the fire of compofition. When he fhall have finifhed his compofition, he may then coolly review it, and make what difpofition and arrangement of the parts fhall appear the beft to him. Every interruption is to be avoided, in thofe moments, when the imagination is at its higheft pitch of inventing and projecting. There are few artifts who have not, at times, experienced in themfelves a more than ordinary difpofition or aptitude, for this operation of the mind; and it is thefe critical moments,
P2 ments,
A man of true genius in any of the imitative arts, and there is not one that has a jufter claim to that title than the art of dancing, fenfible that nature is the varied and abundant fpring of all objects of imitation, confiders her and all her effects with a far different eye from thofe who have no intention of availing themfelves of the matter fhe furnifhes for obfervation. He will difcover effential differences between objects, where a fuperficial beholder fees nothing but famenefs; and in his imitation he
will
There is nothing difgufts so much as repetitions of the fame thing; and a compofer of dances will avoid them as ftudioufly as painters do in their pieces, or writers tautology.
The public complains, with great reafon, that dances are frequently void of action, which is the fault of the performers not giving themfelves the trouble to ftudy juft ones: fatisfied with the more mechanical part of dancing, they never think of connecting the part of the actor with it, which however is indifpenfably neceffary
ceffary
A dance without meaning is a very infipid botch. The fubject of the compofition fhould always be ftrictly connected to the dances, fo as that they fhould be in equal correfpondence to one another. And, where a dance is expletively introduced in the intervals of the acts, the fubject of it fhould have, at leaft, fome affinity to the piece. A long cuftom has made the want of this attention pafs unnoticed. It is furely an abfurd and an unnatural patchwork, between the acts of a deep tragedy, to bring on, abruptly by way of diverfion, a comic dance. By this contraft both entertainments are hurt; the abruptnefs of the transition is intolerable to the audience; and the thread, efpecially
of
One great fource of this diforder, is probably the managers confidering dances in nothing better than in the light of merely a mechanical execution for the amufement of the eye,
and
The compofer, who muft even have fomething of the poet in him; the mufician, the painter, the mechanic, are effentially neceffary to the contribution of their refpective arts, towards the harmony and perfection of compofition, in a fine dramatic dance; even the dreffes are no inconfiderable part of
thecoftume
, or in a more general term, propriety, fhould have the direction of them. It is not magnificence, that is the great point, but their being well afforted to character and circumftances. The French are notoriously faulty in over-dreffing their characters, and in making them fine and fhowy, where their fimplicity would be their greateft ornament. I do not mean a fimplicity that fhould have anything mean, low or indifferent in it; but, for example, in rural characters, the fimplicity of nature, if I may ufe the expreffion, in her holyday-cloaths.
As to the decorations and machines efpecially, I know of no place where there is lefs excufe for their being deficient in them than in London, where they are too manifeftly, to bear
Q any
tions
Q2 Among
Among the many loffes which this art has fuftained, one furely, not the leaft regrettable, even for our theatres, was that of the dances in armour, practifed by the Greeks, which they ufed by way of diverfion and of
exercife
for invigorating their bodies. Sometimes they had only bucklers and javelins in their hands but, on certain occafions they performed in panoply, or complete fuits of armour. Strengthened by their daily and various manly exercifes, they were enabled to execute thefe dances, with a furprifing exactnefs and dexterity. The martial fimphony that accompanied them, was performed by a numerous band of mufic; for the clafh of their arms being so loud, would elfe have drowned the tune or airs of the muficians. It is impoffible to imagine
a more
fitnefs
Thefe martial dances, have, in fome operas of Italy, been attempted to be imitated, with fome degree of fuccefs: but as the performers had not been trained up to fuch an exercife, like the Greeks, it was not to be expected that the reprefentation fhould have the fame perfection, or color of life.
The compofition of the mufic, and the fuiting the airs to the intended execution of a dance, is a point of which it is fcarce needful to infift on the importance, from its being fo obvious and fo well known. Nothing can produce a more difagreeable difcordance than a performer's dancing out
of
Where dances are well compofed, they may give a picture, to the life, of the manners and genius of each nation and each age, in conformity to the subject respectively chofen. But then the truth of the
coftume
, and of natural and hiftorical reprefentation muft be ftrictly preferved. Objects muft be neither exagerated beyond probability, nor diminifhed fo as not to pleafe or affect. A real genius will not be affraid of ftriking out of the common paths, and, fenfible
fible
a
R a
SOME
WAS I, in quality of a dancing-mafter, to offer even the ftrongeft reafons of inducement to learn this art, they could not but juftly lofe much, if not all, of their weight, from my fupposed intereft in the offering
R2 fering
It would however exceed the bounds prefcribed to modefty itfelf, were I to neglect availing myfelf of the authority of others, who were not only far from being profeffors of this art, but who hold the higheft rank in the public opinion for folidity of underftanding, and purity of morals, and who yet did not difdain to give their opinion in favor of an art only imagined frivolous, for want of confidering it in a juft and inlarged view.
After this introduction, I need not be afhamed of quoting Mr. Locke, in his judicious treatife of education.
“Nothing (says he) appears to me " to give children so much becoming " confidence and behaviour, and " fo to raife them to the converfation
"tion
In another place, he fays,
“Dancing being that which gives " graceful motions to all our lives, and " above all things, manlinefs, and a " becoming confidence to young children, " I think it cannot be learned " too early, after they are once capable " of it. But you muft be fure to have " a good mafter, that knows and can " teach what is graceful and becoming, " and what gives a freedom and " eafinefs to all the motions of the
" body.
The Chevalier De Ramfay, author of Cyrus's travels, in his plan of education for a young Prince, has (page 14.) the following paffage to this purpofe.
“To the ftudy of poetry, fhould be " joined that of the three arts of imitation. " The antients reprefented the
" paffions,
And moft certainly in this laft allegation of advantage to be obtained by a competent fkill, or at leaft tincture of the art, the Chevalier Ramfay, has not exagerated its utility. Quintilian
has
But even independent of that confideration, nothing is more generally confeffed, than that this branch of breeding qualifies perfons for prefenting themfelves with a good grace. To whom can it be unknown that a favorable prepoffeffion at the firft fight is often of the higheft advantage; and that the power of firft impreffions is not eafily furmountable?
In affemblies or places of public refort, when we fee a perfon of a genteel carriage or prefence, he attracts our
regard
There are indeed who, from indolence or felf-fufficiency, affect a fort of careleffnefs in their gait, as difdaining to be obliged to any part of their education, for their external appearance, which they abandon to itfelf under the notion of its being natural, free, and eafy.
But while they avoid, as they imagine, the affectation of over-nicety, they run into that of a vicious extreme of negligence, which proves nothing but
S either
Such are certainly much miftaken, if they imagine that an art, which is principally defigned to correct defects, fhould leave so capital an one fubfifting as that of want of eafe, and freedom, in the gefture and gait. On the contrary, it is as great an enemy to ftiffnefs, as it is to loofenefs of carriage, and air. It equally reprobates an ungainly rufticity, and a mincing, tripping, over-foft manner. Its chief aim is to bring forth the natural graces, and not to fmother them with appearances of ftudy and art.
But of all the people in the world, the Britifh would certainly be the moft
in
As to the ladies, there is one light in which perhaps they would not do amiss to view the practice of this art, befides that of mere diverfion or improvement of their deportment: it is that of its being highly ferviceable to their health, and to what it can never be expected they fhould be indifferent about, their beauty, it being the beft
S2 and
It is in hiftory a fettled point, that beauty was no where more florifhing, nor lefs rare, than among fuch people as encouraged and cultivated exercife, efpecially in the fair fex. The various provinces and governments in Greece, all agreed, fome in a lefs, fme in a greater degree, in making exercife a point of female education. The Spartans carried this to perhaps an excels, fince the training of the children of that fex, hardly yielded to that of the male in laborioufnefs and fatigue. Be this confeffed to be an extreme: but then it was in fome meafure compenfated by its being universally allowed, that the Spartan women owed to it that beauty in which they excelled the reft of the Grecian women, who were
themfelves
But as the beft habit of body is ever infeparable from the greateft perfection of beauty, of which its poffeffor is fufceptible, it very naturally followed, that the good plight to which exercife brought and preferved the females, gave alfo to their fhape, that delicacy and fupplenefs, and to their every motion, that graceful agility which caracterized the Grecian beauties, and diftinguifhed
tinguifhed
But omitting to infift on the Spartan aufterity, and efpecially on their gimnaftic training for both fexes, and to take the milder methods of exercife in ufe among the Grecians, we find that the chace, that foot-races, and efpecially dancing, principally compofed the amufement of the young ladies of that country; where, in the great days of Greece, no maxim ever more practically prevailed, than that floth or inactivity was equally the parent of difeafes of the body, as of vices of the mind. Agreeable to which idea, one of the greateft phyficians now in Europe, the celebrated Tronchin,
chin,
Confidering the efficacy of exercife, and that fafhion has abolifhed or at leaft confined among a very few, the more robuft methods of amufement, it can hardly not be eligible to cultivate and encourage an art, fo
innocent
tainment,
Certainly thofe of the fair fex who ufe exercife, will, in their exemption from a depraved or deficient appetite, in the frefhnefs or in the glow of their color, in the firmnefs of their make, in the advantages to their fhape, in the goodnefs in general of their conftitution, find themfelves not ill repaid for conquering any ill-habit of falfe delicacy and floth, to which fo many, otherwife fine young ladies, owe the diforders of their ftomach, their pale fickly hue, and that languid ftate of health which muft poifon all their pleafures, and even endanger
T their
But even as to thofe of either fex, the practice of dancing is attended with obvioufly good effects. Such as are bleffed by nature with a graceful fhape and are clean-limbed, receive ftill greater eafe and grace from it; while at the fame time, it prevents the gathering of thofe grofs and foggy humors which in time form a difagreeable and inconvenient corpulence. On the other hand, thofe whofe make and conftitution occafion a kind of heavy proportion, whofe mufcular texture is not diftinct, whofe necks are fhort, fhoulders round, cheft narrow, and who, in fhort are, what may be called, rather clumfy figures; there will greatly find their account in a competent exercife of the art of dancing, not only as it will give
them
Nothing is more certain than that exercifes in general, diverfions, fuch as that of hunting, and the games of dexterity, keep up the natural ftandard of ftrength and beauty, which luxury and floth are fure to debafe.
T2 Dancing
Dancing furnifhes then to the fair-fex, whofe fphere of exercife is naturally more confined than that of the men, at once a falutary amufement, and an opportunity of difplaying their native graces. But as to men, fencing, riding and many other improvements have alfo doubtlefs their refpective merit, and anfwer very valuable purpofes.
But where only the gentleft exercife is requifite, the minuet offers its fervices, with the greateft effect; and when elegantly executed, forms one of the moft agreeable fights either in private or public affemblies, or, occafionally, even on the theatre itfelf.
Yet I fpeak not of this dance here with any purpofe of fpecifying rules for for its attainment. Such an attempt
would
dancer
I have mentioned the diftinction of a good mafter, moft affuredly not in the way of a vain filly hint of felf-recomdation; but purely for the fake of giving a caution, too often neglected, againft parents, or thofe charged with the education of youth, placing children, at the age when their mufcles are moft flexible, their limbs the moft fupple, and their minds the moft ductile, and who are confequently fufceptible of the beft impreffions, under fuch pretended mafterf of this art, who can only give them the worft, and who, inftead of teaching, ftand themfelves in need of being taught. The confequence then of fuch a bad choice, is, that young people of the fineft difpofition in the world, contract, under
fuch
Thofe mafters who poffefs the real grounds of their art, find in their uniting their practice with their knowledge, refources even againft the ufual depredations of age; which, though it may deprive them of fomewhat of their youthful vigor, has fcarce a fenfible influence on their, manner of performance. There will till long remain to them the traces of their former excellence.
I have myfelf feen the celebrated Dupré, at near the age of fixty, dance at Paris, with all the agility and fprightlinefs of youth, and with fuch powers of pleafing, as if the graces
in him
had braved fuperannuation.
Such
Such is the advantage of not having been content with a fuperficial tincture of this art; or with a mere rote of imitation, without an aim at excellence or originality.
But though there is no neceffity for moft learners to enter fo deep into the grounds and principles of the art, as thofe who are to make it their profeffion, it is at least but doing justice to one's fcholars to give them thofe effential inftructions as to the graces of air, pofition, and gefture without which they can never be but indifferent performers.
For example inftead of being fo often told to turn their toes out, they fhould be admonifhed to turn their knees out, which will confequently give the true direction to the feet.
A
It might be too trite to mention here what is fo indifpenfable and fo much in courfe, the ftrict regard to be paid to the keeping time with the mufic.
Nothing has a better effect, nor more prepoffeffing in favor of the
U per-
There is another point of great importance to all, but to the ladies efpecially, which is ever ftrictly recommended in the teaching of the minuet; but which in fact like moft of the other graces of that dance, extends to other occafions of appearance in life. This point is the eafy and noble port of the head. Many very
pretty ladies lofe much of the effect of their beauty, and of the fignal
power
Certainly nothing can give a more noble air to the whole perfon than the head finely fet, and turning gracefully, with every natural occafion for turning it, and efpecially without affectation, or ftifly pointing the chin, as if to fhow which way the wind fits.
U2
But it muft be impoffible for thofe who ftoop their heads down, to give their figure any air of dignity, or grace of politenefs. They muft always retain fomething of ignoble in their manner. Nothing then is more recommendable than for thofe who are naturally inclined to this defect, to endeavor the avoiding it by a particular attention to this capital inftruction in learning the minuet. It is alfo not enough to take the minuet-fteps true to time, to turn out their knees, and to flide their ftep neatly, if that flexibility, or rife and fall from the graceful bending of the inftep, is not attended to, which gives fo elegant an air to the execution either of the minuet, or of the ferious theatrical dances. Nothing can more than that, fet off or fhow the beauty of the fteps.
It
It fhould alfo be recommended to the dancers of the minuet, ever to have an expreffion of that fort of gaity and chearfulnefs in the countenance, which will give it an amiable and even a noble franknefs. Nothing can be more out of character, or even difpleafing, than a froward or too penfive a look. There may be a fprightly vacancy, an opennefs in the face, without the leaft tincture of any indecent air of levity: as there may be a captivating modefty, without any of that bafhfulnefs which arifes either from low breeding, wrong breeding, or no breeding at all.
But to execute a minuet in a very fuperior manner, it is recommendable to enter into fome acquaintance, at leaft, with the principles of the ferious or grave dances, with a naturally genteel
perfon,
It is efpecially incumbent on an artift, not to reft fatiffied with having pleafed: he fhould, from his knowledge of the grounds of his art, be able to tell himfelf why he has pleafed; and, thus by building upon folid principles, preferably to mere lucky hits, or to tranfient and accidental advantages of form or manner, infure the permanency of his power to pleafe.
There is a vice in dancing, againft which pupils cannot be too carefully
guarded;
The fimplicity of nature is the great fountain of all the graces; from which they flow fpontaneous, when unchecked by affectation, which at once poifon and dries them up.
Nature
Nature does not refufe cultivation, but fhe will not bear being forced. The great art of the dancing-mafter is not to give graces, for that is impoffible, but to call forth into a nobly modeft difplay thofe latent ones in his fcholars, which may have been buried for want of opportunities or of education to break forth their native luftre, or which have been fpoiled or perverted, by wrong inftruction, or by bad model's of imitations. In this laft cafe, the mafter's bufinefs is rather to extirpate than to plant; to clear the ground of poifonous exotics, and to make way for the pleafing productions of nature.
This admirable prerogative of pleafing, infeparable from the natural graces, unpoifoned by affectation, is in nothing more ftrongly exemplified,
than
But how fhall thofe mafters guard a fcholar fufficiently againft affectation, who are themfelves notorioufly infected with it? Nay, this is fo common to them, that it is even the foundation of a proverbial remark, that no gentleman
X man
It is then no paradox to fay that the more deep you are in the art, the lefs will it ftifle nature. On the contrary, it will, in the noble affurance which a competent fkill is fure to bring with it, give to the natural graces a greater freedom and eafe of difplay. Imperfection
of
The truth of this will be eafily granted, by numbers who have felt the pleafure of feeing a minuet gracefully executed by a couple who underftood this dance perfectly. Nay, excellence in the performance of it, has given to an indifferent figure, at leaft a temporary advantage over a much fuperior one
X2 in
But befides the effect of the moment in pleafing the fpectators; the being well verfed in this dance efpecially contributes greatly to form the gait, and addrefs, as well as the manner in which we fhould prefent ourfelves. It has a fensible influence in the polifhing and fafhioning the air and deportment in all occafions of appearance in life. It helps to wear off any thing of clownifhnefs in the carriage of the perfon, and breathes itself into otherwife the moft indifferent actions, in a genteel and agreeable manner of performing them.)
This fecret and relative influence of the minuet,
Marcel
, my ever refpected
fpectedHelvetius
, in his famous book
De L'Esprit
, have made fo well known, conftantly kept in view, in his method of teaching it. His fcholars were generally known and diftinguifhed from thofe of other mafters, not only by
their excellence in actual dancing, but by a certain fuperior air of eafy-genteelnefs at other times. He himfelf danced the minuet to its utmoft perfection. Not that he confined his practice to that dance alone; on the contrary, he confeffed himfelf obliged for his greateft fkill in that, to his having a general knowledge of all the other dances, which he had practifed, but efpecially thofe of the ferious ftile.
But
But certainly it is not only to the profeffed dancer, that dancing in the ferious ftile, or the minuet, with grace and eafe, is effential. The poffeffing this branch of dancing is of great fervice on the theatre, even to an actor. The effect of it fteals into his manner, and gait, and gives him an air of prefenting himfelf, that is fure to prepoffefs in his favor. Perfons of of every fize or-fhape are fufceptible, of grace and improvement from it. The fhoulders fo drawn back as not to protuberate before, but as it were, to retreat from fight, or as the French exprefs it
bien effacées
, the knees well turning outwards, with a free play; the air of the fhape noble and difengaged; the turns and movements eafy; in fhort, all the graces that characterife a good execution of the minuet, will, infenfibly on all other occafions, diftribute through
every
doubtedly
Among the many reafons for this dance of the minuet having become general, is the poffibility of dancing it to fo many different airs, though the fteps are invariable. If one tune does not please a performer; he may call for another; the minuet ftill remaining unalterable.
There
There is no occafion however for a learner to be confined to this dance. He fhould rather be encouraged, or have a curiosity be excited in him, to learn efpecially thofe dances, which are of the more tender or ferious character, contributing, as they greatly do, to perfect one in the minuet; independently of the pleafure they befides give both in the performance and to the fight. The dances the moft in requeft are, the
Saraband
, the
Bretagne
the
Furlana
, the
Paffepied
, the
Folie d'Efpagne
, the
Rigaudon
, the
Minuet du Dauphin
the
Louvre
,
La Mariée
, which is always danced at the Opera of Roland at Paris. Some of thefe are performed folo, others are duet-dances. The
Louvre
is held by many the moft pleafing of them all, efpecially when well executed by both performers, in a juft concert of motions; no dance affording
Y ding
Youth being for learning this art undoubtedly the beft feafon, for reafons as I have before observed, too
obvious
Frequent practice alfo of dancing, or of any falutary exercife, is alfo highly recommendable for obtaining a firmnefs
Y2 nefs
A
Cantatur et faltatur apud omnes gentes, aliquo faltem modo
,
Quint
As
almoft every country has dances particular to it, or, at leaft, fo naturalized by adoption from others,
that
In
Britain
, you have the hornpipe, a dance which is held an original of this country. Some of the fteps of it are ufed in the country-dances here, which are themfelves a kind of dance executed with more variety and agreeablenefs than in any part of Europe, where they are alfo imitatively performed, as in Italy, Germany and in feveral other countries. Nor is it without reafon they obtain, here the preference over the like in other places. They are no where fo well executed. The mufic is extremely well adapted, and the fteps in general
neral
a
It is to the
Highlanders
in North-Britain, that I am told we are indebted for a dance in the comic vein, called the
Scotch Reel
, executed generally,and I believe always in
trio
, or by three. When well danced, it has a very pleafing effect and indeed nothing can be imagined more agreeable, or more lively and brilliant, than the fteps in many of the Scotch dances. There is a great variety of very natural and very pleafing ones. And a compofer of comic dances, might, with great advantage to himfelf, upon a judicious affemblage of such steps as he might pick out of their dances, form a dance that, with well adapted dreffes,
correfpondent mufic, and figures capable of a juft performance
ance,
I do not know whether I fhall not ftand in need of an apology for mentioning here a dance once popular in England, but to which the idea of low is now currently annexed. It was originally adapted from the Moors, and is ftill known by the name of Morris-dancing, or Morefc-dance. It is danced with swords, by persons odly difguifed, with a great deal of antic rural merriment: it is true that this diverfion is now almoft exploded, being entirely confined to the lower claffes of life, and only kept up in fome counties. What the reafon may be of its going out of ufe, I cannot fay; but am very fure, there was not only a great deal of natural mirth in it, but that it is fufceptible enough of
Z im-
In
Spain
, they have a dance, called,
Les Folies d'Efpagne
, which is performed either by one or by two, with caftanets. There is a drefs peculiarly adapted to it, which has a very pleafing effect, as well as the dance itfelf.
In
In
France
, their
Contre-dances
, are drawn from the true principles of the art, and the figures and fteps are generally very agreeable. No nation cultivates this art with more tafte and delicacy. Their
Provençale
dance, is moft delightfully fprightly, and well imagined. The fteps feem to correfpond with the natural vivacity and gaiety of the Provençals. This dance is commonly performed to the pipe and tabor.
The
Flemish
dances run in the moft droll vein of true rural humor. The performers feem to be made for the dances, and the dances for the performers; fo well assorted are the figures to the representation. Several eminent painters in the grotefque ftile, Teniers efpecially, have formed many diverting
Z2 ing
At
Naples
, they have various grotefque dances, which are originals in their kind, being extremely difficult to execute, not only for the variety of the fteps, but for the intricacy and uncommonefs, or rather fingularity of them.
But while I am mentioning Naples, I ought not to omit that effect of dancing, which is attributed to it, upon thofe who are bitten with the
Tarantula
. The original of this opinion, was probably owing to fome fensible phyfician, prefcribing fuch a violent motion, more likely to be kept up in the patient, by the power of mufic, than by any thing. elfe, as might enable him to expel the poifon by being thereby thrown into a copious fweat, and by other benefits
from
The caftanets the
Neopolitans
frequently ufe, are of the largeft fize. It is also from Naples that we have taken the Punchinello dance.
At
At
Florence
, they have a dance, called,
il Trefchone
. The country-women, in the villages, are very fond of it. They are generally fpeaking, very robuft, and capable of holding out the fatigue of this dance, for a long time. To make themfelves more light for it, they often pull off their fhoes. The dance is opened by a couple, one of each fex. The woman holds in her hand a handkerchief, which fhe flings to him whom fhe chuses for her next partner, who, in his turn has an equal right to difpofe of it in the fame manner, to any woman of the company he chufes. Thus is the dance carried on without any interruption till the affembly breaks up.
The favorite dance of the
Venetians
, is what they call the
Furlana
, which is performed by two perfons dancing
a-round
The Peafants of
Tirol
, have one of the moft pleafant and grotefque dances that can be imagined. They perform it in a fort of holy-day drefs, made of fkins, and adorned with ribbons. They wear wooden fhoes, not uncuriously painted; and the women especially exprefs a kind of rural fimplicity and frolic mirth, which has a very agreeable effect.
The
Grisons
are in poffeffion of an old dance, which is not without its merit, and which they would not exchange
change
The
Hungarians
are very noify in their dances, with their iron heels, but when they are of an equal fize, and dreffed in their uniforms, the agility of their fteps, and the regularity of drefs in the performers, render them not a difagreeable fight.
The
Germans
have a dance called the
Allemande
, in which the men and women form a ring. Each man holding his partner round the waift, makes her whirl round with almoft inconceivable rapidity: they dance in a grand circle, feeming to pursue one another: in the courfe of which they execute feveral leaps, and fome particularly. pleafing fteps, when they turn, but fo
very
The
Polish
nobility have a dance, to which the magnificence of their drefs, and the elegance of the fteps, the gracefulnefs of the attitudes, the fitnefs of the mufic, all contribute to produce a great effect. Were it performed here on the theatre, it would hardly fail of a general applaufe.
The
Cossacs
, have, amidft all their uncouth barbarifm, a fort of dancing, which they execute to the found of an inftrument, fomewhat refembling a Mandoline, but confiderably larger, and which is highly diverting, from the extreme vivacity of the fteps, and the
A a oddity
The
Russians
, afford nothing remarkable in their dances, which they now chiefly take from other countries. The dance of dwarfs with which the Czar Peter the Great, solemnized the nuptials of his niece to the Duke of Courland, was, probably rather a particular whim of his own, than a national ufage.
IN
In Turky
, dances have been, as of old in Greece, and elfewhere inftituted in form of a religious ceremony. The
Dervifhes
who are a kind of devotionifts execute a dance, called the
Semaat
in a circle, to a ftrange wild-fimphony, when holding one another by the hand, they turn round with fuch rapidity, that, with pure giddinefs, they often fall down in heaps upon one another.
Aa2 They
They have alfo in Turky, as well as India and Perfia, profeffed dancers, efpecially of the female sex, under the name of dancing-girls, who are bred up, from their childhood, to the profeffion; and are always fent for to any great entertainment, public or private, as at feafts, weddings, ceremonies of circumcifion, and, in fhort, on all occafions of feftivity and joy. They execute their dances to a fimphony of various inftruments, extremely refembling the antient ones, the
tympanum
, the
crotala
, the
cimbals
, and the like, as well as to fongs, being a kind of fmall dramatic compofitions. or what may properly be called
ballads
, which is a true word for a fong at once fung and danced:
ballare
fignifying to dance; and
ballata
, a fong, compofed to be danced. It is probable that from thefe eaftern kind of dances, which are undoubtedly
doubtedlybalatrones
. Nothing can be imagined more graceful, nor more expreffive, than the geftures and attitudes of thofe dancing-girls, which may properly be called the eloquence of the body, in which indeed moft of the Afiatics and inhabitants of the fouthren climates conftitutionally excel, from a fenfibility more exquifite than is the attribute of the more northern people; but a fenfibility ballanced by too many difadvantages to be envied them. The Siamefe, we are told, have three dances, called the
Cone
, the
Lacone
, and the
Raban
. The
Cone
is a figure-dance, in which they ufe particularly a string-instrument in the nature of a violin, with fome others of the Afiatic make. Thofe who dance are armed and mafked, and seem to be a fighting rather
thanLacone
the performers fing commutually ftanzes of verfes containing the hiftory of their country. The Raban is a mixed dance, of men and women, not martial, nor hiftorical, but purely gallant; in which the dancers have all long falfe nails of copper. They fing in this dance, which is only a flow march without any high motions, but with a great many contortions of body and arms. Thofe who dance in the Raban and Cone have high gilt caps like fugar-loaves. The dance of the
Lacone
is appropriated to the dedication of their temples, when a new ftatue of their
Sommona-codom
is fet up.
In
In many parts of the Eaft, at their weddings, in conducting the bride from her houfe to the bridegroom's, as in Perfia efpecially, they make ufe of proceffional mufic and dancing. But, in the religious ceremonies of the Gentoos, when, at ftated times, they draw the triumphal car, in which the image of the deity of the feftival is carried, the proceffion is intermixed with troops of dancers of both fexes, who, proceed, in chorus, leaping, dancing, and falling into ftrange antics, as the proceffion moves along, of which they compofe a part; thefe adapt their geftures and fteps to the founds of various inftruments of mufic.
Confidering withal that the Romans, in their moft solemn proceffions, as in that called the
Pompa
, which I have before mentioned, in which not only the
PirrhicSileni
, and
Fauni
, and were attended by minftrels playing on the flute and guitar; befides which, there were
Salian
priefts, and
Salian
virgins, who followed, in their order, and executed their refpective religious dances; it may bear a question whether not an unpleafing ufe might not be made, on the theatres, of proceffional dances properly introduced, and connected, efpecially in the burlefque way. In every country, and particularly in this, processions are efteemed an agreeable amufement to the eye; and certainly they muft receive more life and animation from a proper intermixture of dances, than what a mere folemn march can reprefent, where there is nothing to amufe but a long train of
perfonages
But even, where it might be improper or ridiculous to think of mixing dances with a proceffion, though it were but in burlefque, which muft, if at all, be the preferable way of mixing them, the pleafure of those who delight in feeing proceffions and pageantry exhibited on the theatre, might be gratified, without any violence to propriety, by making them introductory to the dances of the grandest kind. For example; where a dance in Chinese characters is intended, a proceffion might be previoufly brought in, of perfonages, of whom the habits, charactures, and manners might be faithfully copied from nature, and from the truth of
Bb things
In order to give a more diftinct idea of this hint, I have hereto annexed the print of a Chinefe proceffion taken from the defcription of a traveller into that country; by which a good compofer would well know how to make a proper choice of what might be exhibited, and what was fit to be left out; efpecially according as the dance fhould be, ferious or burlefque. In the laft cafe;
even
The print annexed reprefents the proceffion of a Chinefe Mandarin of the firft order. Firft appear two men who ftrike each upon a copper inftrument called a gongh, refembling a hollow difh without a border, which has pretty much the effect of a kettle-drum.
Follow the enfign-bearers, on whofe flags, are written in large characters
Bb2 the
Six officers, bearing a ftaff headed by an oblong fquare board, raifed high, whereon are written in large golden characters the particular qualities of this Mandarin.
Two others bear, the one a large umbrella of yellow silk (the imperial color) of three folds, one above the other; the other officer carries the cafe in which the umbrella is kept.
Two archers on horfeback, at the head of the chief guard: then the
guards
Two porters, carrying a fplendid coffer, containing the feal of his Office.
Two other men, beating each a
gongh
, which gives notice of the Mandarin's approach.
Two officers, armed with ftaves, to keep off the croud.
Two
Two mace-bearers with gilt maces in the fhape of dragons, and a number of officers of juftice, fome equipped with bamboes, a kind of flat cudgels, to give the baftinado: others with chains, whips, outlaffes, and hangers.
Two ftandard-bearers, and the captain of the guard.
All this equipage precedes the Mandarin or Viceroy, who is carried in his chair, furrounded with pages and footmen, having near his perfon an officer who carries a large fan in the fhape of a hand-fire-fcreen.
He is followed by guards, fome armed with maces, and others with long-handled fabres; after whom come several enfigns and corners, with a
great
From the above, it may appear, what fcope or range a compofer may have for the exhibition of proceffions and pageantry of other nations, as well as of the Chinefe; in all which, nothing is more recommendable than adhering, in the reprefentation, as much as the limitations of the theatre will admit, to the truth of things, as they actually pafs in the countries where the scene is laid: which is but, in faying other words, in this, as in every other imitative branch, ftrike to nature as clofe as poffible.
IN
The
fpirit of dancing prevails, almoft beyond imagination, among both men and women, in moft parts of Africa. It is even more than inftinct, it is a rage, in fome countries of that part of the globe.
Upon the Gold-coaft efpecially, the inhabitants are so paffionately fond of it, that in the midft of their hardeft labor, if they hear a perfon
Cc fing,
There are even well attefted ftories of fome Negroes flinging themfelves at the feet of an European playing on a fiddle, entreating him to defift, unless he had a mind to tire them to death; it being impoffible for them to ceafe dancing, while he continued playing. Such is the irrefiftible paffion for dancing among them.
With fuch an innate fondnefs for this art, one would imagine that children taken from this country, fo ftrong-made and fo well-limbed as they generally are, and fo finely difpofed by nature, might, if duly inftructed, go great lengths towards perfection in the art. But I do not remember to have heard that the experiment
ment
Upon the Gold-coast, there long exifted and probably ftill exifts a cuftoms, for the greater part of the inhabitants of a town or village to affemble together, moft evenings of the year, at the market-place to dance, fing, and make merry for an hour or two, before bed-time. On this occafion, they appear in their beft attire. The women, who come before the men, have a number of little bells tinkling at their feet. The men carry little fans or rather whifks in their hand made of the tails of elephants and horfes, much like the brufhes ufed to brufh pictures; only that theirs are gilt at both
Cc2 ends.
Artus and Villault add, that they ftrike each another's fhoulders alternately with thofe fans; alfo that the women, laying ftraw-ropes in circles on
the
They are ftrangely delighted with thefe gambols; but do not care to be feen at them by ftrangers, who can fcarce refrain laughing, and confequently putting them out of countenace.
After an hour or two fpent in this kind of exercife, they retire to their refpective homes.
Their dances vary according to times, occurrences, and places. Thofe which are in honor of their religious feftivals, are more grave and ferious. There have been fometimes public dances inftituted by order of their Kings, as at Abrambo,
a large
They have alfo their kind of Pirrhic dances, which they execute by mockfkirmifhing in cadence, and ftriking on their targets with their cutlaffes.
I have
I have already mentioned that it is from Africa, the Morefc-dances originally came. But what is fomewhat furprifing, the Portugueze themfelves, among whom I will not however include the higher ranks of life in that nation, but, at leaft, the number of the people who adopted, from the Caffrees, or Negroes of their African poffeffions, a dance called by them
LasCheganças
, (Approaches) was fo great that the late King of Portugal was obliged to prohibit it by a formal edict. The reafon of which was, that fome of the motions and geftures had fo lafcivious an air, and were fo contrary to modefty, that the celebrated
Frey Gafpar
, a natural fon, if I miftake not, of the late King of Portugal, reprefented fo efficacioufly to his Portugueze Majefty: the fhame and fcandal of this dance being any longer fuffered,
fered,Frey Gafpar
, againft whom there were lampoons and ballads publickly fung, upon his having ufed his influence to procure that prohibition.
IN
In
this part of the world, fo lately difcovered, nothing is a ftronger proof of the univerfality of dancing, of its being, in fhort, rather an human inftinct, than an art, than the fondnefs for dancing every where diffufed over this vaft continent.
Dd In
In
Brazil
, the dancers, whether men or women, make a point of dancing bare-headed. The reafon of this is not mentioned: it cannot however be thought a very ferious one, fince nothing can be more comical than their geftures, their contortions of body, and the figns they make with the head to each other.
In
Mexico
, they have alfo their dances and mufic, but in the moft uncouth and barbarian ftile. For their fimphony they have wooden drums, fomething in form of a kettle-drum, with a kind of pipe or flageolet, made of a hollow cane or reed, but very grating to an European ear. It is obferved they love every thing that makes a noife how disagreeable foever the found is. They will also hum over fomething like a tune, when they dance
thirty
In
Virginia
, according to the author of the hiftory of that country,
Dd2 they
In the firft kind one perfon only dances, or two, or three at moft. While during their performance, the reft, who are feated round them in a ring, fing as loud as they can fcream, and ring their little bells. Sometimes the dancers themselves fing, dart terribly threatening looks, ftamp their feet upon the ground, and exhibit a thoufand antic poftures and grimaces.
In the other dance, confifting of a more numerous company of performers, the dance is executed round stakes fet in the form of a circle, adorned
with
In
Peru
, the manner of dancing has fomething very particular. Inftead of laying any ftrefs on the motion of the arms, in moft of their dances, their arms hang down, or are wrapped up in a kind of mantle, fo that nothing is feen but the bending of the body, and the activity of the feet; they have however many figure-dances, in which they lay afide their cloaks or mantles, but the graces they add, are rather actions than geftures.
The
The
Peruvian
Creolians dance after the fame manner, without laying afide their long fwords, the point of which they contrive to keep up before them fo that it may not hinder them from rifing, or in coupeeing, which is fometimes to fuch a degree that it looks like kneeling.
They have a dance there, adopted from the natives, which they call
Zapatas
, (shoes) becaufe in dancing they alternately ftrike with the heels and toes, taking fome fteps, and coupeeing, as they traverfe their ground.
Among: the favages of North-America, we are told there are various dances practifed, fuch as that of the calumet, the leaders dance, the war-dance, the marriage-dance, the facrifice-dance, all which, refpectively differ in the movements,
ments,
The
Americans
, in fome parts, prefcribe this exercife by way of phific, in their diftempers: a method of treatment, not, it feems unknown to the antients: but, in general, their motive for dancing, is the fame as with the reft of the world, to give demonftrations of joy and welcome to their guefts, or to divert themfelves. On some occafions indeed, they make them part of the ceremony at their affemblies upon affairs, when even
their
The foregoing fummary fketch of fome of the various dances, which are practifed in different parts of the globe, and which, to defcribe univerfally and minutely, would fill whole volumes, may ferve to fhow that nature has, in all parts of the inhabited world, given to man the inftinct of dancing, as well as of fpeaking, or of finging. But it certainly depends on the nations who encourage the polite arts, once more to carry it up to that pitch of excellence, of which the hiftory of the
Greeks
Ee OF
As this branch of the art of dancing is often mentioned, efpecially in this country, without a juft idea being affixed to it, or any other idea than what is vulgarly taken from a fpecies of compofitions which are fometimes exhibited after the play, on the theatre here, (not to mention Sadler's wells) and go by the name of pantomime entertainments; it may not be unacceptable to the reader, my laying
Ee2 ing
And as, on this point, Monfieur Cahufac, an ingenious writer, has treated the hiftorical part of it with fo much accuracy, that it was hardly poffible to offer any thing new upon it, beyond what he has furnifhed; and that not to make ufe of his refearches would only betray me into a fruitlefs affectation of originality, I am very ready to confefs, that for the beft and greateft part of what I am now going to offer upon this fubject I am indebted to his production.
That prodigious perfection to which the antients carried the pantomime art, appeared fo extraordinary to the celebrated
brated
The chevalier Ramfay places it alfo among the loft arts. Both, no doubt, grounding their opinion on that deficiency of execution on the modern theatres, compared to what is inconteftably tranfmitted to us, by hiftory, of the excellence of the ancient pantomimes.
But none have more contributed to eftablifh the opinion of the pantomime art being an art totally different from that of dancing, add not merely an improvement of it, as was certainly the cafe, than fome of the profeffors of
the
We are too apt to pronounce upon poffibilities from our own meafure of knowledge, or of capacity. Nothing is more common than to hear men of a profeffion declare loudly againft any practice attempted to be eftablifhed for the improvement of their art, and peremptorily to aver fuch a practice being impoffible, for no other reafon than that their own ftudy and efforts had not been able to procure them the attainment of it. In this too they are feconded by that croud of fuperficial people who frequent the theatres, and who can believe nothing beyond what themfelves have feen: any thing above the reach of what they are accuftomed
or
The reproach of incredulity is commonly made to men of the greateft knowledge, becaufe they are not overapt to admit any propofition without proof: but this reproach may, with more juftice, be ofteneft made to the ignorant, who generally reject, without difcuffion, every thing beyond their own narrow conception.
To thefe it may found more than ftrange; it may appear incredible, that on the theatre of Athens, the dance of the Eumenides, or Furies, had fo expreffive a character, as to ftrike the fpectators with irrefiftible terror. The Areopagus itfelf fhuddered with horror and affright; men grown old in the profeffion of arms, trembled; the
mul-
This paffage of hiftory is furnifhed by the fame authors, who tell us, that Sophocles was a genius; that nothing could withftand the eloquence of Demofthenes; that Themiftocles was a hero; that Socrates was the wifeft of men; and it was in the time of the moft famous of the
Greeks
that even upon thofe highly privileged fouls, in fight of irreproachable witneffes, the art of dancing produced fuch great effects.
At Rome, in the beft days of thisart, all the fentiments which the dancers expreffed, had each a character of truth,
foAjax in a frenzy
, the fpectators took fuch violent impreffions from the acting-dancer who reprefented him, that they perfectly broke out, into outcries; ftripped, as it were, to fight, and actually came to blows among each other, as if they had caught their rage from what was paffing on the theatre.
At another time they melted into tears at the tender affliction of Hecuba.
And upon whom were thefe lively impreffions produced? Upon the cotemporaries
Ff tem-
The proofs fhown of the perfection of dancing at Athens, and under the reign of Auguftus, being inconteftable,
itwriter
, than the fecond is from what may deferve on the theatre, the name of principal dancer.
Ff2 Be-
Befides the neceffity of learning his art elementally, a dancer, like a writer, fhould have a ftile of his own, an original ftile: more or lefs valuable, according as he can exhibit, exprefs, and paint with elegance a greater or leffer quantity of things admirable, agreeable, and ufeful.
Speech is fcarce more expreffive, than the geftual language. The art of painting, which places before our eyes the most pathetic, or the moft gay images of human life, compofes them of nothing but of attitudes, of pofitions of the arms, expreffions of the countenance, and of all there parts dancing is compofed, as well as painting.
But, as I have before obferved, painting can exprefs no more than an inftant of action. Theatrical dancing can exhibit
hibit
Dancing is, evidently, in its nature, an action upon the theatres; nothing is wanting to it but meaning: it moves to the right, to the left; it retrogrades, it advances, it forms fteps, it delineates figures. There is only wanting to all this an arrangement of the motions, to furnish to the eye a theatrical action upon any fubject whatever.
The hiftory of the art proves that the dancers of genius, had no other means or affistance in the world but this to exprefs all the human paffions, and the
poffibilities
Both here, and in France, there have been fome of these dramatic pieces in action, by dance, attempted; which have been well received by the public.
Some years ago, the Dutchefs of Maine ordered fimphonies to be compofed for the fcene of the fourth act of the
Horatii
; in which the young Horatius kills Camilla. Two dancers, one of each fex, reprefented this action at
Sceaux
; and their dance painted it with all the energy and pathos of which it was fufceptible.
In Italy efpecially many fubjects of a what may be called low comedy, are very naturally expreffed by dancing. In fhort, there is hardly any comic action but
what
Among
Among the antients, that
Protheus
, of whom fabulous hiftory records fuch wonders, was only one of their dancers, who, by the rapidity of his fteps, by the ftrength of his expreffion, and by the employment of the theatrical deceptions, feemed at every inftant, to change his form. The celebrated
Empufa
was a female dancer, whole agility was fo prodigious that fhe appeared and vanifhed like a fpirit.
But it was at Rome that the Pantomime art received its higheft improvement. Pilades born in Cilicia, and Bathillus of Alexandria, where the two moft furprifing geniufes, who, under the reigns of Augustus Cæfar, difplayed their talents in their utmoft luftre. The firft invented the folemn, grave and pathetic dances. The compofitions of Bathillus
thillus
Bathillus had been the flave of Mecenas, who had given him his freedom in favor of his talents. Having feen Pilades in Cilicia, he engaged him to come to Rome, where he had difpofed Mecenas in his favor, who, becoming the declared protector of both, procured to them the encouragement of the Emperor.
A theatre was built for them: the Romans flocked to it, and faw, with furprise, a complete tragedy; all the paffions painted with the moft vigorous ftrokes of reprefentation: the expofition, plot, cataftrophe expreffed in the cleareft and moft pathetic manner, without any other means or affistence but that of dancing, executed to the fimphonies
Gg the
Their furprife was not to end here. to this a fecond entertainment fucceeded; in which an ingenious action, without needing the voice or fpeech, prefented all the characters, all the pleafant ftrokes and humorous pictures of a good comedy.
And in both there kinds, the executive talents of Pilades and Bathillus correfponded to the boldnefs and beauty of the kind of compofitions they had ventured to bring on the ftage.
Pilades efpecially, who was at the head of this project, was the most fingular man that had till then appeared on the theatre. His fertile imagination
tion
Before him, fome flutes compofed the orcheftra of the Romans. He reinforced it with all the known inftruments. He added chorufes of dances to his reprefentations, and took care that their fteps and figures, fhould always have some relation or affinity to the principal action. He provided them with dreffes in the higheft tafte of propriety, and omitted nothing towards producing, keeping up, and pufhing to the higheft pitch, the charm of the theatrical illufion.
Gg2 The
The actions on the Roman theatres were tragic, comic, or fatirical; thefe laft pretty nearly anfwering to what we underftand by grotefque or farcical.
Efopus and Rofcius had been, from their excellence in declamation, the delight and admiration of Rome. But on their leaving no fucceffors to their degree of merit; the tafte for dramatic poetry which was no longer fupported by actors equal to them, began to decline; and the theatrical dances under fuch great mafters as Pilades and Bathillus, either by their novelty, or by their merit, or by both, made the Romans the lefs feel their lofs of thofe incomparable actors. The geftual language took place of that which was declaimed; and produced regular pieces, acted in the three kinds of tragedy, comedy, and farce or grotefque. The
fpectators
This
Hanc partem Muficæ difciplinæ Majores mutam nominârunt, quæ ore claufo loquitur, et quibufdam gefticulationibus facit intelligi, quod vix narrante lingua, aut fcripturæ textu poffit agnofci.
Caffiod, var. 1. 20.
Loquaciffimas manus, linguofos digitos, filentium clamofum, expofitionem tacitam.
Idem.
This kind of entertainment, fo new, though formed upon a ground-work already known, planned and executed by genius, and adoped with a paffionate fondnefs by the Romans, was called the
Italic dance
; and in the tranfports of pleafures it caufed them, they gave to the actors of it, the title of
Pantomimes
. This was no more than a lively, and not at all exagerated expreffion, of the truth of their action, which was one continual picture to the eyes of the fpectators. Their motion, their feet, their hands, their arms, were but fo many different parts of the picture; none of them were to remain idle; but all, with propriety, were to concur to the formation of that affemblage, from which refult the harmony, and, with pardon for the expreffion, the happy
all-together
of the compofition and performance. A dancer learned from his
verypantomime
, that he could be in no efteem in Rome, but, fo far as he fhould be
all the actor
.
And, in fact, this art was carried to a point of perfection hard to believe; but for fuch a number of concurrent and authentic teftimonies.
It appears alfo clearly from hiftory, that this art, in its origin, (fo favored by an arbitrary prince, and who alfo made fome ufe of it, towards eftablishing his defpotifm, nay even primordially introduced by Bathillus, a flave) could no longer preferve its great excellence, than the fpirit of liberty was not wholly worn out in the Roman breafts; and, like its other fifter arts, gradually decayed and funk under the fubfequent emperors.
Pilades
Pilades gave a memorable instance of the (as yet) unextinguifhed fpirit of liberty, when, upon his being banifhed Rome, for fome time, by Auguftus Cefar, upon account of the difturbances the pantomime parties occafioned, he told him plainly to his face, that he was ungrateful for the good his power received, by the diverfion to the Romans from more ferious thoughts on the lofs of their liberty. “Why do “not you,” fays he, “let the people “amufe themfelves with our quarrels?”
This dancer had fuch great powers in all his tragedies, that he could draw tears from even thofe of the fpectators the leaft ufed to the melting mood.
But in truth, the effect of there pantomimes, in general, was prodigious.
TearsGlaucus
, in which the pantomime Plancus played the principal character.
Bathillus, in painting the amours of Leda, never failed of exciting the utmoft fenfibility in the Roman ladies.
But what is more furprifing yet,
Memphir
, a Pithagorean philofopher, as Athenæus tells us, expreffed, by dancing, all the excellence of the philofophy of Pithagoras, with more elegance, more clearnefs and energy, than the moft eloquent profeffor of philofophy could have done.
Upon confidering all this, one is almoft tempted to fay, with M. Cahufac, “We have, upon the ftage, excellent
Hh cellent
Our tragedy and our comedy have an extent and duration which are fupported by the charms of fpeech, by the intereftingnefs of narration, by the variety of the fallies of wit. The action is divided into acts, each act into fcenes, thefe fcenes fucceffively prefent new fituations, and thefe fituations keep up the warmth of intereft and attention, form the plot, lead to the conclufion or unravelment, and prepare it.
Such muft have been, or fuch muft be, (but with more precifion and markingnefs) tragedies or comedies reprefented by dancing; as gefture is fomething more marking and fuccinct than
fpeech.
In fuch compofitions then, made to be danced, the theatrical action muft go forward with the utmoft rapidity: there muft not be one unmeaning entry, figure, or ftep in them. Such a piece ought to be a clofe crouded, abftract of fome excellent written dramatic piece.
Dancing, like painting, can only prefent fituations to the eye; and every truly theatrical fituation is nothing but a living picture.
If a compofer of dances fhould undertake to reprefent upon the ftage any great action or theatrical fubject, he
Hh2 muft
Whereas if the fituations fucceed one another naturally, and in great number; if their being well linked together conducts them with rapidity, from the firft fituation to the laft, which muft clearly and ftrikingly unravel the whole; the choice is complete, and the theatrical effect will be fure.
It is that final effect, of which, in the execution, the compofer and performer muft never lofe fight. Succeffive pictures muft be exhibited, and animated with all the expreffion that can
refult
This was doubtlefs the great fecret of the art of Pilades, who fo highly excelled in his ideas of theatrical expreffion: this is, perhaps, to for all kinds of theatrical compofition, whether to be declaimed, or to be executed by dancing, a general rule that is not to be flighted.
One inftance of the regard fhewn by Pilades to theatrical propriety is preferved to us, and not unworthy of attention. He had been publickly challenged by Hilas, once a pupil of his, to reprefent the greatnefs of Agamemnon: Hilas came upon the ftage with bufkins, which, in the nature of ftilts; made him of an artificial height; in confequence of which he greatly overtopped
toppedYoung man, we had to reprefent a king " who commanded over twenty kings: you " made him tall: I fhowed him great
.”
It
It was in the reign of Nero, that a cinical mock-philofopher, called Demetrius, faw, for the firft time, one of thefe pantomime compofitions. Struck with the truth of the reprefentation, he could not help expreffing the greateft marks of aftonifhment: but whether his pride made him feel a fort of fhame for the admiration he had involuntarily fhewn, or whether naturally envious and felfifh, he could not bear the cruel pain of being forced to approve any thing but his own fingularities; he attributed to the mufic the ftrong impreffion that has been made upon him: as, in that reign, a falfe philofophy very naturally had a greater influence than the real, this man was, it feems, of confequence enough for the managers of the dances to take notice of this partiality, or at leaft to be piqued enough, for their own honor, to
lay
The orcheftra began: an actor opens the fcene: on the moment of his entrance, the fimphony ceafes, and the reprefentation continues. Without any aid but that of the fteps, the pofitions of the body, the movements of the arms, the piece is performed, in which are fucceffively reprefented the amours of Mars and Venus, the Sun difcovering them to the jealous hufband of the goddefs, the fnares which he fets for his faithlefs fpoufe and her formidable gallant, the quick effect of the treacherous net, which, while it compleats the revenge of Vulcan, only publifhes his fhame, the confufion of Venus,
nus,
The whole audience gave to the excellence of the performance its due applaufe, but the Cinic, out of himfelf, could not help crying out, in a tranfport of delight; “
No! this is not a reprefentation; " it is the very thing itfelf
.”
Much about the fame time a dancer reprefented the
labors of
Hercules. He retraced in to true a manner all the different fituations of that hero, that a king of Pontus, then at Rome, and who had never feen fuch a fight before, eafily followed the thread of the action, and charmed with it, afked with great earneftnefs of the emperor, that he would let him have with him that extraordinary dancer, who had made
Ii fuch
It would then furely be a great error to imagine, that an habitual dexterity, a daily practice, with their arms, their legs and feet, were the only talents of thefe pantomime dancers. Their execution, without doubt, required all thefe advantages of the body in the moft eminent degree; but their compofitions fuppofed, and indifpenfably implied an infinite number of combinations which belong intirely to the mind, or intellectual faculties; as for example,
efpe-
And furely there is an evident neceffity for ftudying men, before one can undertake to paint or reprefent them. It is not till after a profound examination of the paffions, that one ought to flatter one's felf with characterifing them purely by the powers of external figns of actions. All the paffions have affinities to each other, which it is only for a great juftnefs of underftanding to feize; they have fhades that diftinguifh them, which nothing but a nice eye can perceive, and which eafily efcape a fuperficial obferver.
Ii2 In
In ferious dancing, where the character of a hero is to be given, there are in his actions, in the courfe of his life, certain marking ftrokes, certain incidents or extraordinary paffages, which are fubjects proper for the ftage, and which muft be feparated from others perhaps more brilliant in hiftory, but which would infrigidate a theatrical compofition.
In the ftate of dancing of our days, the dancers, and even the compofers of dances, afpire to little more than the mechanical part of their art; and, indeed, they hardly know any thing beyond that, and cannot in courfe, cultivate what they have no conception of.
When M. Cahufac wrote, he obferved that this was fufficient for the
fpectators
As
As hitherto the compofer of the dances of action, have not been able to recover that height of perfection to which the antient pantomimes carried their art; the moft that any compofers could do, I mean with fuccefs, (for there have been fome attempts made, that, for want of a proper plan and execution, failed,) was to furnifh certain dances, in the nature of
poemetti
or fmall dramatic poems, which, where the fubject of action has been clearly and intelligibly executed, have ever been received with the moft encouraging applaufe by the public.)
And here the ingenious author to whom I am fo much obliged in this chapter, furnifhes me with rules of compofition for the dances of action, which can hardly be too much recommended.
All
All theatrical compofitions ought to have three effential parts.
By a lively dialogue, in a piece made to be fpoken, or by an incident dextroufly introduced in one made for a dance in action, the fpectator is to be prepared for the fubject that is to be reprefented, and to have fome acquaintance of the character, quality, and manners of the perfons of the drama: this is what is called
the expofition
.
The circumftances, the obftacles which arife out of the ground-work of the fubject, embroil it, and retard its march without ftopping it. A fort of embarrafment forms itfelf out of the actions of the characters, which perplexes the curiofity of the fpectators, from whofe even guefs-work, the manner how all is to be ultimately unravelled is
tothe plot
.
From this embarrafment, one fees fucceffively break forth lights, the more unexpected, the better. They untold the action, and conduct it by infenfible degrees to an ingenious conclufion: this is what is called
the unravelment
.
If any of thefe three parts is defective, the theatrical merit is imperfect. If they are all three in due proportion, the action is complete, and the charm of the reprefentation is infallible.
As the theatrical dance then is a reprefentation, it muft be formed of thefe three effentially conftitutive parts. Thus it will be more or lefs perfect, according
ing
But this divifion is not the only one that fhould be known and practifed. A dramatic work is commonly compofed of five or fewer acts; and an act is compofed of fcenes in dialogue or foliloquy. Now every act, every fcene, fhould have, fubordinately, its expofition, its plot, and its unravelment, juft as the total of the piece has, of which they are the parts.
So ought alfo every reprefentation in dancing to have thofe three parts, which conftitute every thing that is a action. Without their union, there is no action that is perfect: a fault in one of thofe parts will have a bad effect on the
Kk others;
Befides thefe general laws of the theatre, which are in common to thofe compofitions of dances, that are to be executed on it, they are fubjected to other particular rules, which are derived from the primitive principles of the art.
As the art of dancing effentially confifts in painting by geftures and attitudes, there is nothing of what would be rejected by a painter of good tafte, that the dancer can admit; and, confequentially, every thing that fuch a painter would chufe, ought to be laid hold of, diftributed, and properly placed in a dance of action.
Here
Here, on this point, recurs that never too often repeated rule, as infallible as it is plain:
let nature, in every thing, be the guide of art; and let art, in everything, aim at imitating nature
: a rule this, than which there is not one more trite, more hackneyed in the theory, nor lefs regarded in the practice.
Nature then being always Nature, always invariable in her operations and productions; there is no falfe conclufion, nor ftraining inferences, in avering, that the art of dancing could not but be a great gainer by a revival of the tafte of the antients for the pantomime branch; which, upon the theatre, converted a tranfient flafhy amufement of the eye, into a rational or fenfible entertainment, and made of dancers, who are otherwife, a mere mechanical
Kk2 cal
This
This may be, perhaps, an exaggeration: but when people refort to a theatre to unbend, or relax, they will hardly think their pleafure taftelefly diverfified by a fine pantomime execution of a dramatic compofition, to the perfection of which, poetry, mufic, painting, decoration, and machinery will have all contributed their refpective contingents.
For the fubjects of thefe poetical dances, the compofer will undoubtedly find thofe which are the moft likely to pleafe, in fabulous hiftory, efpecially for the ferious, or pathetic ftile. This we find was the great refource of the antients, who had, in that point, a confiderable advantage, from which the moderns are excluded, by the antient mithology having lope that effect, and warmth of intereft, which accompanied
com-
The
The greateft part of thefe advantages are wanting in the employment of thefe fictions among the moderns; and to which however they are, in fome meafure, compelled to have recourfe, for want of theatrical fubjects ftriking enough to be agreeably thrown into a dance; by which I do not mean to exclude all fubjects that have not thofe poetical fictions of Greek and Roman antiquity for a bafis; on the contrary, it might juftly pafs for a barrennefs of invention, the being reduced conftantly to borrow from them, but purely to point out a treafure, ever open to the artift who fhall know how to make a felection with judgment and tafte always remembering, that the more univerfally the fable is foreknown the more eafy will the talk be of rendering it intelligible in the execution.
There.
There are, doubtlefs, fome parts of the antient mithology fo obfcure, and fo little known, that any plan taken from them, would, to the generality of the fpectators, be as great a novelty, as if the compofer had himfelf invented the fubject. There are others again of which all the intereft is entirely antiquated and exploded.
As to the pieces of compofition in the comic vein, there is nothing like taking the fubject of them from the moft agreeable and the moft marking occurrences in real, current life; and the ftronger they are of the manners and practice of the times, the nearer they will feem to the truth of nature, and the furer at once to be underftood, and to have a pleafing effect.
And
And here I fhall take the liberty of concluding with offering two inftances of poetic dances; the one in the ferious, the other in the comic vein, which are furnifhed rather as hints of the improvable nature of fuch compofitions, than in the leaft meant for models of them.
The firft has for title,
The decoration reprefents a wood interfected by feveral walks, which form an agreeable perfpective of diftances. At the bottom of the theatre, and in the middle, there is a grand walk, terminated by a fmall mount, on the fummit of which is feen a colonnade, that forms the periftile of a temple.
Ll Venus,
Venus, preceded by the Graces and feveral nimphs, comes out of the temple, defcends the mount, and advances to the front of the wood; the fimphony to be the moft agreeable and melodious imaginable, to announce the arrival of the goddefs of love.
The Graces and the nimphs open the action, and by their geftures and fteps, exprefs their endeavour to footh the impatience of Venus on the abfence of Adonis. The agitation in which fhe is, ought to be painted on her countenance, and expreffed by the difcompofure of her fteps, marking her anxiety and defire of feeing her lover.
The found of the chace is heard, which betokens the approach of Adonis. Joy breaks forth in the eyes, the geftures, and fteps of Venus and her train.
Adonis,
Adonis, followed by feveral hunters, enters through one of the fide-walks of the wood. Venus runs to meet him, and feems to chide him for having been fo long away. He fhows her the head of a ftag, which he has killed, and which is carried, as in triumph, upon a hunting-pole, by one of the hunters; and offers it, as the fruit of his chace, in homage to the goddefs, who is prefently appeafed, and graciously receives his offering. Thefe two lovers then exprefs in a
pas-de-deux
, their mutual fatiffaction.
The hunters mix with the Graces and nimphs, and form a dance which characterifes their harmony.
Soon a noisy fimphony, of military inftrumental mufic, gives warning of the arrival of Mars. Venus, Adonis,
Ll2 the
Mars, followed by feveral warriors, enters precipitately through a walk oppofite to that by which Adonis and the hunters came. Venus feparates from Adonis, having infifted on his getting out of the way of the formidable god of war. He withdraws with his train by the fame way as he came. Mars, inraged with jealoufy, makers a fhew of going to purfue Adonis. Venus ftops him, and employs, in her foothing and careffes, all the ufual arts of appearing and blinding a jealous lover. She prevails at length, not only to diffipate his paffion, but to make him believe himfelf in the wrong for having been jealous.
The
The warriors addrefs themfelves to the Graces and nimphs, and form together a dance expreffive of a fort of reconciliation; after which Mars and his train return by the fame way as they came.
Venus, the Graces, and the nimphs, fee them go, and when they are got a little diftance from them, teftify their fatiffaction at having got fo well over this interruption.
Adonis returns alone: Venus fprings to meet him, and gives him to underftand that he has now nothing to fear that Mars will not return in hafte.
In the fame walk from which Adonis came, the hunters of his train are feen purfuing a wild boar, that tries to efcape juft by where the Graces and the nimphs
are,
Here it is that the mufic and the dance are to difplay their refpective powers: the one by the moft plaintive mournful founds; the other by geftures and fteps in which grief and defpair are ftrongly characterifed, ought to exprefs the profound affection into which Venus is plunged, and the fhare the Graces, the nimphs, and the hunters take in it.
Venus
Venus appears to implore the aid of all the gods, to reftore her lover to her. She bathes him with her tears, and thofe precious tears have fuch a virtue, that Adonis appears all of a fudden tranfformed into an anemony or wind-flower.
The Graces and the nimphs exprefs their furprife; but the aftonifhment of the hunters fhould be yet more ftrongly marked.
Venus herfelf is not the more comforted by this metamorphofis. A flower cannot well fupply the place of her lover. She turns then her eyes towards the earth, and feems to invoke the power of fome deity inhabitant of its bowels.
The
The flower difappears; the earth opens, and Proferpine rifes out of it, fitting on a chariot drawn by black horfes, and having at her fide Adonis reftored to life.
It is natural to imagine the joy that is at this to be expreffed, by the fimphony, by the geftures, and fteps of Venus, of the Graces, the nimphs, and hunters.
Proferpine, getting out of her chariot, holding Adonis by the hand, prefents him to Venus. A
pas-de-trois
or trio-dance, follows, in which the joy of the two lovers at feeing one another again is to be characterifed by all the expreffion, and all the graces of the moft pleafing dance, while Proferpine teftifies her fatiffaction at having produced the re-union: after which, fhe
gets
The Graces, the nimphs, and hunters, exprefs how highly they are charmed at feeing Adonis again; Venus and Adonis form a
pas-de-deux
, or duet-dance, in which the Goddefs takes off her girdle or
ceftus
, and puts it upon Adonis, in the way of a fhoulder-belt, or as now the ribbons of moft orders of knight-hood are worn, which is to him a fimbol of immortality.
The Graces and nimphs teftify to Adonis how pleafed they are to fee him received into the number of the demi-gods: the hunters pay their homage to him, and the whole concludes by a general country-dance.
Mm The
The other fpecimen has for title,
The decoration reprefents a delicious garden, in which there are feveral compartments, feparated by canals and
jet-d'eaux
. This fcenery fhould exhibit the profpect of at once a pleafure-garden, and a fruit-one.
In the bottom of this perfpective, there appear feveral gardeners bufied, fome in pruning the hedges, others in fowing and planting: more towards the front are feen, fome women at work, tying up the flowers, or cleaning them from pernicious leaves; others fetting roots in vafes. All this forms the fcenical picture at the drawing up the curtain.
A
A fimphony mixed with the moft rural inftruments of mufic, begins with fort and foothing airs.
One of the female gardeners, more fhowifhly dreffed than the others, and who is employed upon fome neceffary talk about the flower-vafes; feems however more attentive to the admiring the flowers, than to do her work: and as fhe is ftanding near a canal, the is, when fhe imagines none are taking notice of her, looking at her figure in the watery mirror, admiring herfelf, and adjufting her drefs. Though fhe does all this by ftealth, her companions remark her coquettry, make figns to each other, and point her out to the gardeners, who join the laugh at her, without the coquet's perceiving it, who is too much taken up with herfelf.
Mm2 The
The fimphony fhould exprefs by the founds, as nearly as poffible, the mockery and burfts of laughter from the reft of the gardeners.
The coquet is fadly tempted to gather fome of the flowers for her own ufe, but dares not. In the moment that fhe is expreffing the greateft mind for it, enters a gardener, who is not one of thofe employed at work, and who makes up to her, fhows her a fine nosegay, and fignifies to her that he is come on purpofe to offer it her. The coquet immediately leaves off her work; and this
pas-de-deux
begins by all the little grimaces and falfe coynefs that the coquette oppofes to her acceptance of the nofegay, but which at the fame time only the more betray the mind fhe has for it. The gardener keeps preffing her to receive it. Her companions,
curious
Another gardener now enters, on the fide oppofite to that on which the firft came, and advancing with an air of gaiety, prefents to the coquette, a fmall bafket of fine fruit. In this
pas-de-trois
,
de-trois,
It is eafy to conceive, that the compofer of this mufic will, in the airs made for the
pas-de-deux
, and
pas-de-trois
, pay attention to the different affections that are to be characterifed by the dance.
While the gardener who brought the nofegay, and the other who prefented
fented
The fimphony fhould announce the arrival of this amiable gardener, by an air all expreffive of brifknefs and gay gallantry.
The gallant gardener approaches the coquette, and fhews her thofe glittering ribbons, which at once catch her eye, and give her a violent longing for them. This new-comer takes notice of the flowers in her hair and bofom, and of the fruit-bafket hung upon her arm. He gives her plainly to underftand that fhe muft return all this to his rivals, if fhe has a mind to have the ribbons. Thefe
begin
The fimphony fhould here exprefs, by different airs, the refentment of the
two
The coquette ufes her beft arts to pacify the two angry gardeners; but it is all in vain; they exprefs their indignation, and are determined to take their revenge upon their rival. Juft in the inftant that they are preparing to attack him and that he is ftoutly ftanding upon his defence, comes in a female gardener, amiable, lively, but without any mark of coquettry in her looks or drefs; who, by the eager and frightened air with which fhe interpofes, and places herfelf between the gallant gardener and the others, to prevent their hurting him, difcovers the tender regard fhe has for him.
Nn The
The two others, in refpect to this charming girl, dare not proceed; but they give her to underftand that the coquette has been so base as to return the flowers to the one, and the fruit to the other, that fhe might get the ribbons from the gardener whom fhe is protecting from their just refentment.
At this the offended fair one expreffes to her lover her indignation, but does not the lefs for that make the others fenfible that fhe will not fuffer them to hurt him. She fnatches next, from the coquette, the ribbons. The whole company round teftify their approbation of what fhe has done, even the two gardeners, who were, the moment before, fo angry, bursf out a-laughing for joy, to fee the coquette fo well punifhed, being now left without flowers, fruit, or ribbons; at
which
The gay gardener, vexed at having been furprifed by his miftrefs, in an act of gallantry to another woman, wants to pafs it off to her as merely a fcheme to amufe himfelf, and to laugh at the coquette. At firft fhe will not hear him; fhe treads the ribbons under her feet, and is going away in a paffion. He ftops her, and entreats her forgivenefs with an air fo moving and penetrated, that, little by little, fhe is difarmed of her anger, and pardons him, in fign of which fhe gives him her hand.
There is no need of fpecifying here what the dance in action, accompanied
bypas-de-deux
; it is too obvious.
The gardeners, men and women, teftify their rejoicing at this reconciliation, and the dance becomes general.
F I N I S.