This thesis examines the culture and practice of dance in Denmark in the seventeenth century, focussing on the performance practice within festivals, the pervading French influence and philosophical discourse of dance.
The repertoire of staged court dance in Denmark comprises ballets and plays performed in conjunction with festival events such as coronations, weddings, and christenings. Typical is the 1634 festival in honour of Prince-Elect Christian and Magdalena Sibylla�s wedding in Copenhagen, a celebration of international significance. Subsequent celebrations during the reigns of Frederik III and Christian V followed similar models. The festival of 1655 in homage of Prince Christian, for example, gave rise to performances of the ballet Unterschiedliche Oracula, and the German-language opera Arion. The programmes from these performances, along with other contemporary descriptions, provide evidence of aspects of the ballet genre, stage construction, machinery, characters, allegory and political themes. The Danish productions, which also include an equestrian ballet, are in many respects comparable to French court ballets produced from the beginning of the century.
Evidence that French choreographies were known in Denmark is clearly provided by choreographies in the publication Maître de Danse (Glückstadt 1705) and the Danish manuscript of violin dance tunes Additamenta 396 4�. Evidence that the Danish aristocracy actively sought and coveted French culture can be found as early as the wedding festival in 1634 and well into the eighteenth century. French acculturation is evident elsewhere too, such as in Ludvig Holberg�s comedy Jean de France (1722), in a translation of French dance etiquette for youth, in contemporary accounts of French clothing and language, and by the employment of French musicians and dancing masters at the Danish court.
Included is an examination of Andreas Schroder�s treatise De Saltatoribus (Flensburg 1622) and Thomas Bartholin�s dance chapter in his book Qu�stiones Nuptialis (Copenhagen 1670) as significant Danish primary sources. These sources are placed in contrast with contemporary European dance manuals such as Arbeau, De Lauze, Esquivel de Navarro, Caroso and Negri. Danish and other European authors differ in their views on the morality of dance, although they cite many of the same Ancient and Biblical sources for their persuasive arguments.
Just as Denmark was connected to other countries of northern Europe in a complex political web, so too did these courts share artistic and cultural traditions, which are reflected in the sources related to dance. Danish dance practices can especially be demonstrated to be akin to those of neighbouring German courts, which, like Denmark, imitated the dance fashions of France.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/266441 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Kjaergaard, Mette, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of Music, Theatre Studies and Performing Arts |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright Mette Kjaergaard |
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