Historical Dance Program 

Description of the Program

For over twenty-five 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 "Cloth of Gold: Music of France and England." 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, July 11, 2026), and culminates in two performances: a fully staged production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1745 opera, Platée (Friday evening, July 17), and a Studio Dance Presentation (Saturday morning, July 18). Participants are entitled to attend many other events (including English country dancing, concerts and lectures) in the evenings that are part of the Amherst Early Music Festival. Opportunities are available for dancers at every skill level.

Dance Class Schedule
Note: First-week dancers who wish to participate in the Baroque Opera Project (Jean-Philippe Rameau's Platée, July 17 performance) must arrive early to attend the sessions on July 11-12.
Participation in the opera is reserved for full-time dancers, and opera participation is optional.

Saturday, July 11
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, July 12
Early morning. Individual practice time.
10:00-11:30 am. Baroque Dance Technique Class. (Murray, Olsson)
1:00-4:00 pm (with breaks!). Dance Rehearsal for opera project, Jean-Philippe Rameau's Platée. (Murray, Olsson)

Monday-Friday, July 13-17
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 English choreographies by Pécour, Feuillet, Tomlinson, L'Abbé and others,
including various dance types (chaconne, loure, menuet, passepied, rigaudon, bourée, etc.).

10:45 am-12:00 pm. Studio Dance Presentation: From Folio to Studio (Murray, Olsson)
Each dancer chooses a dance in Beauchamps-Feuillet notation (from a curated list), to prepare for performance on the Studio Dance Presentation (Saturday morning, July 18).     

1:45-3:00 pm. Individual practice time, rest, or attend a music class.

3:30-5:30 pm. Dance Rehearsal for opera project, Rameau's Platée (Murray, Olsson)
Performance Friday evening, July 17, 8:00 pm. Possible evening rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Opera project dress rehearsal, late Thursday evening.

Saturday, July 18
10:00-11:00 am. Individual warmup for Studio Dance Presentation.
11:00 am. Studio Dance Presentation: From Folio to Studio.

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(Photos by Paul R. Johnson, Kaspar D. Mainz, and Miranda Penley)