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Book/Printed Material Orchesography; or, The art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures. Wherein the whole art is explain'd; with compleat tables of all steps us'd in dancing, and rules for the motions of the arms, &c. Whereby any person (who understands dancing) may of himself learn all manner of dances Art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures / Art of dancing / Orchesography

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About this Item

Title

  • Orchesography; or, The art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures. Wherein the whole art is explain'd; with compleat tables of all steps us'd in dancing, and rules for the motions of the arms, &c. Whereby any person (who understands dancing) may of himself learn all manner of dances

Other Title

  • Art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures
  • Art of dancing
  • Orchesography

Summary

  • Originally published in Paris by Raoul-Auger Feuillet under the title Chorégraphie ... (1700), this translation by English dancing master and theoretician John Weaver is dedicated to famed choreographer, Mr. Issac. The manual details a dance notation system that indicates placement of the feet and basic leg movements. Changes of body direction and numerous ornamentations of the legs and arms are also part of the system. Based on tract drawings, the system traces the floor pattern of the dance. Bar lines in the dance score correspond to the bar lines in the accompanying music, located above the notated diagrams.

Names

  • Feuillet, Raoul-Auger, 1659 or 1660-1710
  • Isaac, Mr
  • Weaver, John, 1673-1760

Created / Published

  • London : Printed for, & sold by Ino. Walsh ..., [ca. 1715?]

Headings

  • -  Dance music--18th century
  • -  Dance--Handbooks, manuals, etc.--Early works to 1800
  • -  Dance Instruction and Technical Manuals
  • -  Music for Dance
  • -  Notation for Dance

Genre

  • Bookbinding (Binding)--DLC

Notes

  • -  Bound in mottled calf, panelled, with gold tooling.
  • -  Engraved throughout.
  • -  The Rigadoon, the Louver, and the Brittagne, by Mr. Isaac (p. 101-120) consist of diagrams; at head of each diagram, the tune for the dance figure is represented.
  • -  ESTC N72358
  • -  LAC ael 2022-02-03 update (2 cards)
  • -  LAC ael 2022-03-04 update (2 cards)
  • -  LAC ael 2022-03-08 update (2 cards)
  • -  LAC ael 2022-03-29 no edits (2 cards)
  • -  LAC ael 2022-04-05 no edits (2 cards)
  • -  LAC tnb 2019-07-03 no edits (2 cards)

Medium

  • 3 p. l., 120 p. : ill., music ; 27 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • GV1590 .F6 1715
  • Microfilm Music 5000 Item F-022c, Reel 64 Microfilm. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, [1982]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. On reel with other titles.

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 22022367

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is not aware of any U.S. copyright or any other restrictions in the materials in this collection.

The Library of Congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or other rights holders (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

The accompanying videos were produced by the Library of Congress. Note Video Performers for additional credits for video performers.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Music Division.

Video Performers

Performers for the October 1997 Great Hall event: Dancers

Members of The Jonquil Street Foundation, Inc. Ariane Anthony, Thomas Baird, Barbara Barr, Patricia Beaman, Christopher Caines, Charles Garth, James Martin, Maris Wolff. Musicians - members of The Library of Congress Centennial Cotillion Brass Band, Emerson Head and Robert Sheldon, Leaders (Members, Metro Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians Local 161-710, AFM.)

Performers for the Coolidge Auditorium clips: Dancers

Cheryl Stafford and Thomas Baird. Musicians - Boris Gurevitch (piano), Susan Manus (violin).

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Feuillet, Raoul-Auger, 1659 Or, Mr Isaac, and John Weaver. Orchesography; or, The art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures. Wherein the whole art is explain'd; with compleat tables of all steps us'd in dancing, and rules for the motions of the arms, &c. Whereby any person who understands dancing may of himself learn all manner of dances. [London: Printed for, & sold by Ino. Walsh ..., ?, 1715] Image. https://www.loc.gov/item/22022367/.

APA citation style:

Feuillet, R., Isaac, M. & Weaver, J. (1715) Orchesography; or, The art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures. Wherein the whole art is explain'd; with compleat tables of all steps us'd in dancing, and rules for the motions of the arms, &c. Whereby any person who understands dancing may of himself learn all manner of dances. [London: Printed for, & sold by Ino. Walsh ..., ?] [Image] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/22022367/.

MLA citation style:

Feuillet, Raoul-Auger, 1659 Or, Mr Isaac, and John Weaver. Orchesography; or, The art of dancing by characters and demonstrative figures. Wherein the whole art is explain'd; with compleat tables of all steps us'd in dancing, and rules for the motions of the arms, &c. Whereby any person who understands dancing may of himself learn all manner of dances. [London: Printed for, & sold by Ino. Walsh ..., ?, 1715] Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/22022367/>.