The New York Baroque Dance Company - "Entrée d'Apollon"

[terpsich]

Beautiful!!!!!

[dblueroom]

I can't wait to see the New York Baroque's February performance. yeah!!!

[MozartIsFancylalala]

where do you get shoes like that. I WANT SOME

[JeremyNasmith]

Geez! All the comments about 'heels or no heels' How about Thomas Baird's exquisite dancing? This dance would be perfectly possible in heeled shoes. Heeled dancing shoes are expensive and difficult to find. They're also not necessary to show the style of dancing, or the choreography.

Heels or no heels? The shoes are a moot point folks!

[silvar68]

they used to dance with heels...but the feet must have suffered when landing on the extended foot...! Remember the dancing shoes have evolutioned a lot from those days!

[HARMONICO101]

This the epitomy of elegance isn't it?

[indigoblue555]

Great D'Anglebert's arrangment for harpsichord.

[BethDiane]

Is there any chance of posting the whole performance of this? He danced it so beautifully, and this excerpt is so short that if you blink, you'll miss it!

[1psoas9]

You can see this dance performed in heeled shoes here on youtube in the extracts from the movie" le Roi Danse" -- this is the original choreography for Louis 14th, who injured himself in this dance doing a double tour en l'air, which is depicted in the movie... check it out search "le roi danse," should be hte first hting that coes up

[LaBelleDanse]

1psoas9. While it is true that such an incident was depicted in the film "Le Roi Danse", it is not historically true that Louis XIV injured himself performing a double tour en l'air while performing any dance.

[1psoas9]

Thank you for pointing that out -- I had no idea it was not true.

[dblueroom]

@LaBelleDanse I don't think it is meant the the King injured himself, it signals the end of his danse career and the beginning of the era of Opera. You cannot hold a movie to tell the exact history. For example, the king could not be dancing "Idylle sur la Paix" then in the film, as it was written for Madame de Dauphine, his daughter in law.

[lalungenuictdestens]

@dblueroom "... then, in 1670 the king, past his physical prime, retired from dancing, allowing other, better dancers to take lead roles."

[dustinzev]

i like the use of the mask...it keeps the audience looking at the dance movements not the face

[gifu1960]

well postulated, dustinzev

[terpsich]

Video is from 1989. Ask Edmund Fairfax about the shoes. Many paintings show flat or low heeled shoes. Many expensive portaits have fashionable high heeled shoes, but that does not mean they danced in them,,,they just wanted to look good for the portrait. Anyway, he is a gorgeous dancer and can probably dance in bare feet or stilettos.

[crowceilidh]

There are instances in which male dancers previous to 1715 or so wear lower heels (and lots thereafter). As I said above, they were often portraying shepherds etc. However, the argument that one couldn't possibly wear higher heels and perform these dances does not seem to be borne out in period references. It's like saying that ballerinas pose in pointe shoes for portraits but couldn't possibly wear them because they damage the feet so badly. We all know differently.

[terpsich]

The video was made in 1989. According to current thought (Edmund Fairfax, historical dance expert)the Baroque shoe was flat or had a very low heel. Why don't you ask him?

[lalungenuictdestens]

In Mexico, there are no teachers or schools to learn this beautiful art... how could I learn autodidactly, please help me! :) which books? maybe also videos, teeeell me! :)

[lalungenuictdestens]

Beautiful! The choreograpy, the movements, the harpsichord, the costume! :o oooh! Directly to my favorites! 5 stars! thanks for sharing this.

[SubtlyRough]

TOTALLY AGREED. AMAZING!

[MissCecchetti]

As you probably know, these performers come from other dance backgrounds, as indeed they must. The men we see doing these intricate solos are relying on their previous dance training. Perhaps they've tried doing some reconstructions in heels, perhaps not. But I don't think it's worth throwing out the baby with the bath water because he's doing this gorgeous dance in flat shoes. We're still going to have to wait to see a virtuosic male dancing in heels - unless you know of one.

[LaBelleDanse]

I agree with what you say about the lack of heels not invalidating the work of the artist in this video. I also agree with the poster who points out the discrepancy in the amount of work put into this wonderful dance, only to couple it with a totally modern shoe. However, none of us knows why the dancer or the dance company made that choice when this video was produced, which I must point out was about 15 years ago.

[JuandrezBog]

Hermoso, estupendo!

[crowceilidh]

It would kill him to wear heels?

[tibibopan]

Sorry, I have not understood your idea?

[Gonnakillyou]

@tibibopan I think he was belittling him for not wearing heels.

[MissCecchetti]

Considering the force with which he's landing some of those jumps, I think heels might have produced an injury!

[crowceilidh]

So - they wore heels in the 17th century and now we're too dainty????

[MissCecchetti]

Not saying that - just saying he would have to change his technique to accommodate heels.

[crowceilidh]

That was rather my point. 

What is the point of learning all those footings and figures in flat shoes? It's inaccurate. It's not what they did. Why go to all the trouble with his costume and his music and dance in the wrong footwear?

He might as well have Nikes on for all the accuracy of the foot presentation.

If he would need to adjust his technique to accommodate heels, then his technique is wrong.

[MissCecchetti]

You're full of crap, crowceilidh.

[crowceilidh]

Your ad hominem argumentation is fallacious. What finesse and elegance! I see the error of my ways now. I was being logical and that hurt you. Mea maxima culpa.

[MissCecchetti]

You didn't hurt me.

You merely made an ass of yourself with your tired, overblown argument about "authenticity".

[crowceilidh]

Yes, peasants wore low heels, as (before 1715) some dancers did when representing the lower orders, shepherds and such like - so Louis said to himself, "What would Apollo wear?" "Well, it seems obvious that he'd dress like a god all shinily armoured and be-feathered, except for the shoes on his feet of course, which he would want to look like peasant gear." Because of his Achilles ankles? Whatever.