I was just watching the Leo DiCaprio flick “THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK”. I was intrigued by the costume ball where they try the switch. My question: the dances that were performed in those days-are they ever done today at all? Where would one go to see these old dances performed? And, was it common in the 17th century for particpants in costume balls to wear thw garb of previous centuries?
If they are done at all, one would likely see them reenacted at Versailles.
Yes to everything.
I didn’t get to watch to the masque portion of the movie today and it’s been a long time time since I’ve seen it, so I can’t speak to the veracity of the costumes shown in it, but masques were very popular right up until the twentieth century, though they achieved a different flavor during the nineteenth century. Typically, masquers wore dressed to portray famous historical or mythological figures and characters. See here for the recreation of an Elizabethan masque costume for Penthesila, Queen of the Amazons. The information about the masques provided in it is nice.
If you want to see the type of dances done in the movie, there are plenty of recreators who do it around the world. The Virginia reel is evolved from those dances. What we think of as the dancing done at balls (ballroom dancing:the waltz, the foxtrot, etc.) didn’t come about until the nineteenth century–the waltz was considered quite scandalous because the partners embraced each other. These Wikipedia articles should help you out: baroque dance, renaissance dance, and [. To see it in person, try Googling for “early dance,” “baroque dance,” “renaissance dance,” or any other combination that seem likely. I’ve heard good things about [url=http://www.seattleearlydance.homestead.com/]Seattle Early Dance](]English country dance[/url). has a [url=http://www.rendance.org/dir/]directory of performing companies, organizations, etc. The Society for Creative Anachronism has a big, fatty list of early dance links and manuals.
For another movie that has renaissance dance, Elizabeth has two scenes–one at the very beginning where they’re dancing in a field, and another after Elizabeth is crowned. She (Cate Blanchett) dances the lavolta with Robert Dudley (Fiennes). Apparently that version isn’t accurate as in the one Shakespeare in Love. Who knew? I was busy being filled with angst.
The pavane is actually quite fun to dance to and simple to learn. It offers a prime opportunity to flirt, and makes you feel incredibly graceful and feminine or manly (as you taste dictates) when done properly.
Find a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) Barony meeting – you’ll see plenty of that there.
I am fascinated by the responses regarding King Louis and his strict teachings of proper etiquette I am an early American song historian (buff) and entertain with themed piano performances for audiences in Retirement Communities and Memory-Care Residences thruout Florida. I read in a music history book that King Louis IX declared the Waltz as …'Nothing more than rompous noise…and decried that it ever become a part of ‘serious’ music - after one of his Court Musicians played a new piece of music he had written and it indeed was a lively Waltz. The Waltz was considered scandalous because the partners touched each other. …‘There was ,something unsavory about a woman being embarrassed in partner’s arms…while being whirled around the dance floor in a Frenzy’! This, of course was long before the day of the Strauss Gents of whom Johann Jr. was hailed the ‘Father’ of the waltz. My anger at the King’s comments led me to create a ‘Tribute to the Waltz’ piano show. It shows how the Waltz style of writing has become part of American Music throughout the eras of time - from our early nursery songs, our Christmas Carols, our popular songs of yester-year, and three of our songs of celebration - Anniversary Waltz / Happy Birthday / & a surprise to me, our National Anthem. It is indeed a Waltz. Thank you for this opportunity to add my comments/responses. It is my wish that each one of us always have a ‘song in your heart’ Best/Musically Walter