THE EARLY DANCE CONSORT ~ Renaissance & Baroque Dance

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2024 Summer Course in Early Dance

EDC Home  | Summer 2024 | Details | Brochure | Enrolment

EDC Summer Course 3-5 January, 2024

Beguiling Baroque 

January 3-5 (Wed to Fri)
in North Sydney

We invite you to join our 14th Summer Course in Early Dance, Beguiling Baroque, exploring the noble dance style of the late 17th & early 18th century European courts.

Why beguiling? Baroque dance is both charming & deceptive. Its noble ease belies the control needed to dance with grace & precision, a quality evident in classical ballet, which has developed from it.

Why learn baroque dance? Dance is perhaps the most ephemeral of arts.
18th C dance notation provides a rare window into ball & stage choreographies of the baroque era. Reconstruction allows us the possibility of embodying the experience of the courtier: the posture, gesture & dance forms forgotten over intervening centuries.

For musicians, actors, dancers & social historians, this is invaluable physical insight: into musical rhythms, accents & phrasing, into deportment, gesture, technique & aesthetics.

Over three days, students build technique, steps & sequences towards whole dances, helping to smooth the learning curve for newcomers while giving experienced students an opportunity to refine technique & style. In this way the course presents an opportunity to explore & develop a tangible appreciation of this distinctive dance repertoire.

Venue 181 Blues Point Road, North Sydney.
From North Sydney Train/Bus Station: turn left on Blue Street, 1st left into Blues Point Road. Short walk south down hill to Hall on left-hand-side just before Lavender Street.
 

Course details               Brochure & Enrolment form

Cotillon notation 1725Morning A sessions introduce the basics of Baroque dance style: the deportment & the characteristic movements which distinguish it from other styles, exploring a range of steps & their precise relationship to the musically pervasive baroque rhythms from Bourrée & Gavotte to Minuet, Sarabande & Gigue.

Morning B sessions develop steps in context to form phrases & figures, building towards one or more dances.

Afternoon C sessions will extend to more complex steps, subtleties of hand & arm movements, to further an appreciation of the precision and delicacy of the Belle Danse.
Plus exploration of the dance notation known as chorégraphie, which is key to discovering the treasures of this unique dance repertoire.

For greatest benefit, we urge students to begin on the Wednesday & choose between:
* Full Course (9 sessions over 3 days) OR
* Wednesday only (3 sessions) OR
* Consecutive days A, or A + B

Requirements: No previous dance experience required, nor do you need to bring a partner.

COVID-19 The course will run subject to NSW Health guidelines. For the safety of all, we urge you to be fully vaccinated & boosted, stay home & get a test if unwell, maintain distancing & hand hygiene where possible, & wear a mask if preferred.

Daily Schedule - 2024 Summer Course in early dance

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Venue 181 Blues Point Road, North Sydney. From North Sydney Train/Bus Station: turn left on Blue Street, 1st left into Blues Point Road. A Short walk south down hill to Hall on left-hand-side just before Lavender Street.    Google Map


What to wear
Light comfortable clothes, and secure shoes without rubber soles.
Flat, light shoes for warm-ups (e.g. ballet flats, jiffies).
Low-heeled shoes (1-4cm) for Baroque dance (e.g. Grecian sandals, or Jazz shoes for both)
See What to wear for classes for more information.

To eat & drink
Light refreshments will be provided for morning tea.
Bring water to drink, and pack/buy lunch if staying for the day.

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Enrolment
Please complete enrolment form and return by email/post. Prior booking is essential.
Preferred payment is by direct deposit (bank details on enrolment form).
Otherwise cheque or exact cash in envelope.
Early-bird rates available until December 18.
Do get in touch by phone or email if you have any questions, and you can't find the answers here.

Fees for 2024 Summer Course in Early Dance

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