Historical Dance Program
Description of the Program
For more than thirty years
the historical dance program has been a highly
successful
part of the Amherst Early Music Festival, itself the largest festival
of its kind in the world. Students particularly enjoy the opportunity
for performance, along with stimulating classes by dance historians and
performers.
The theme of this year's Amherst Early Music Festival is "Music of of Italy
and Spain." The Historical Dance
Program reflects
that theme,
with a focus on dance materials from these regions. The program consists of
technique classes and rehearsals (beginning
on Saturday, June 29, 2024), and culminates in a fully staged
production of Scarlatti’s
Il Trionfo dell’Onore.
Participants
are entitled to attend many other
events (including English country dancing, concert and lectures) in the
evenings that are part of the Amherst Early Music
Festival. All levels of dancers are welcome.
Dance Class Schedule
Saturday,
June 29
2:00-5:00 pm (with breaks!). *Baroque
Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal. (Murray, Olsson)
6:30-8:00 pm. *Baroque Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal. (Murray, Olsson)
Sunday, June 30
Early morning. Individual practice time.
10:00-11:30 am. *Baroque Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal.
(Murray,
Olsson)
Note:
Participation in the opera is reserved for full-time dancers;
others are accepted only by audition.
1:00-4:00 pm (with breaks!). *Dance Rehearsal for Scarlatti’s Il Trionfo dell’Onore.
*These
classes will serve as both audition and rehearsal for the dance
roles for the Baroque Opera Project (Scarlatti’s
Il Trionfo dell’Onore,
July 5 performance). All dancers wishing to
perform in this
production must
attend these sessions.
Monday-Friday,
July 1-5
9:00-10:30
am. Baroque Dance Technique (Murray, Olsson).
Technique class
in eighteenth-century dance focusing on steps and phrases from notated
French and
Italian choreographies by Pécour, Feuillet, Grossatesta and others,
including various dance types (passepied, siciliano, menuet, chaconne,
bourée,
etc.).
10:45
am-12:00 pm. Baroque Dance Topic: Ballare! ¡Bailar! (Murray)
A sampling
of dance steps and phrases from dances of 17th-and 18th-century Italian
and Spanish sources, including works by Grossatesta, Minguet, Ferriol
and
others.
1:30-3:00 pm.
Individual Practice or rest. [Dance studio space will be
available.]
3:30-5:30 pm. Dance Rehearsal (Olsson, Murray).
Rehearsals for Baroque Opera (Scarlatti’s
Il Trionfo dell’Onore,
performance Friday evening, July 5, 8:00 pm). Possible evening
rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday. Opera dress rehearsal, late Thursday evening.
(Photos by Paul R.
Johnson, Kaspar D. Mainz, and Dorothy Olsson)