The Dancing Master: or this is not a Sarabande
Dance and music were once deemed inseparable by the early modern individual, being fundamental parts of communal life in the villages as much as the courts. Conveying tacit messages, highly codified to convey multiple expressions, they embodied powerful educational tools.
Researcher: Fernando Santiago Serrano dos Santos
The dancing master, a form of baroque orator and rhetor of gestures, usually a violinist or flautist, was the central figure in this process. My investigation explores this kaleidoscopic world and its many implications for our current, historically informed artistic practices. Through an interdisciplinary approach, I look back to this union of the arts to inspire future outcomes.
I will deliver a chamber recital highlighting the violin literature closely influenced by dance forms, from earlier Italian examples to mid 18th century French pieces. As a counterpoint to this soloistic selection, excerpts from operas and ballets, paired with the well-established orchestral suite, illustrate a formerly quite popular repertoire which is now seldom performed.
A violinist myself, with a great interest in early dances, I strive to develop both crafts at once, ultimately researching my own performative identity. The precedents, however, are not only historical. With names like Raquel Aranha, Yves Ytier, Mojca Gal, and Julie Andrijeski, from Brazil to Germany, I find examples from today to help carve out a comprehensive future for this creative dialogue.
Image: The opening plate of the Passacaille de Persée, written by Guillaume Louis Pécour. In the background, two dancers perform the steps during a rehearsal.
Image credit: Carmen Maria and Fernando Santiago.