The Evolution of Dance: Codification of Ballet Continued-Ansley Kenney

As mentioned in the first entry for King Louis Codification of Ballet, King Louis XIV had a profound influence on ballet. King Louis wanted to increase the standards of dance in the late 17^th century and therefore he did. With Jean-Baptiste Lully and Pierre Beauchamp by his side, ballet was changed forever. King Louis established the world’s first ballet school, Académie Royale de Danse and of course the famous Paris Opera Ballet. Stated on King Louis’s decree, the academy was, “to restore the art of dancing to its original perfection and to improve it as much as possible.” The academy was intended to codify court and character dances and to certify dance teachers by examination. The company not only began distinguishing professional dancers from courtiers, but it also included women.

Jean Baptiste Lully

Previously, ballet was almost exclusively performed by males. As dances became more detailed and complicated, it became necessary to formally codify these dances to maintain consistency. King Louis and his partners did just that. The type of dance that King Louis performed was usually very theatrical. The productions aimed for even more dramatic and thematic cohesion. An example of a ballet Louis performed in is “Ballet de la Nuit”. This ballet was very lavish and included witches, werewolves, gypsies, shepherds, thieves, and the goddesses Venus and Diana. There was even a scene where a set piece of a house was burned down. The ballet turned into a theatrical performance. King Louis himself danced five roles in the twelve-hour long ballet. He was one of the most beloved performers. Under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and Pierre Beauchamp, King Louis’s schools provided a place for the codification of ballet movements and gestures into a technique derived from the Italian Renaissance and French Baroque court dances.