PECOUR ACADEMY – BAROQUE DANCE IN PARIS – 1st EDITION IN 2023

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From Saturday August 26th of 2023 at 6 pm till Friday September 1st of 2023 at 2 pm, in Micadanses (Paris 4th arrondissement)

This Baroque dance academy offers in-depth work on the technical sources, the repertoires and the challenges of putting them into practice. It is aimed at an international audience by offering bilingual and intermediate-advanced to professional education. The schedule consists of morning technical classes and afternoon workshops with Irene Feste, Hubert Hazebroucq and Guillaume Jablonka.

Thème : Interpreting chorographical repertoires.

Since 2006, Divertimenty has been offering live performances and actions around the dance culture of the 18th century. The creations are fortified by current theoretical and practical research to anchor the contemporary aspect of the new baroque generation that the company embodies.

Educational organization

    For the morning technical class, each teacher offers different choreographies. Participants choose only one course and take it all week. The afternoon workshops are organized in two groups, with different themes, and work alternately and successively with the three professors.

Click on the picture of each professor to read his/her biography

Guillaume Jablonka: His career as a dancer took him to the Ballet du Nord (Roubaix) where he met Jean Guizerix and Wilfride Piollet and then integrated their Barres Flexibles into his training and teaching. He discovered Baroque dance in the Cie l'Éventail by Marie-Geneviève Massé and later founded the Cie Divertimenty, for which he created Le Petit Chaperon rouge as a pantomime ballet (Pontoise Baroque Festival) and Les Coulisses du Ballet vénitien (Opéra Comique). In parallel, his research concerns the restitution of notated dances from the eighteenth century, notably the Ferrère manuscript. He teaches at the sports department of Sorbonne University and since its creation has contributed to the practical application of sources in the shows of the Théâtre Molière Sorbonne.

Repertoire worked with Guillaume Jablonka

Advanced-Professional Level

During the morning technical class, a first warm-up time will be based on the Flexible Barres Technique: a somatic work around the bodily sensations of the body moving in space will gradually lead to the management of gravity balance on a single foot in «élevé». Mental images will be a very strong support to this result. A second time will allow a systematic study of the different steps or sequences of steps in the repertoire choreographies. Finally a third time will lead to the interpretation of the notated signs with a spun work of choreographies on their original music.

Irène Feste - Cie Danses au (Pas)sé : Dancer, choreographer and teacher specialized in early dance from the XVIth to the XIXth centuries. Her research focuses on the evolution of dance at the beginning of the XIXth century (Jean-Henri Gourdoux-Daux, Michel Saint-Léon) and in particular on the quadrilles of Jean-Etienne Despréaux (research supported by the CN D, the INHA and the BnF) and on his system of chorographical notation, la Terpsichorographie.

Repertoire worked with Irène Feste

Intermediate-Advanced Level

“Classe de perfectionnement” or Advanced class

After a sequence of elementary exercises and the main steps of the dance, like a « dance lesson », the workshop will approach the artistic aspects of the dance (the arms, the “épaulements”, the look…) and the relationship between the partners in the choreographic repertoire of the time.

To charm the audience with grace, with a kind abandon, with a lively and expressive dance, but without any affectation.

Hubert HAZEBROUCQ is a professional dancer specialised in Early Dance (Renaissance and Baroque) since 1998, and the choreographer of the Company Les Corps Eloquents, founded in 2008. He aims to promote the early repertoires and to link the creation with innovative research. He is regularly invited to international festivals (Boston, Utrecht...) and prestigious heritage places (Versailles, Chambord...). He collaborates with several renowned musicians, including William Christie (Les Arts Florissants), Denis Raisin-Dadre (Doulce Mémoire), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment... As an independent searcher, holding a Master's degree with a dissertation on ballroom dancing about 1660, he publishes many academic articles. He teaches Early Dance among others at the Conservatoire Régional de Paris since 2021.

Repertoire worked with Hubert Hazebroucq

Suspended registrations, application quota for Hubert Hazebroucq’s course met

  • Sarabande de mr Feuillet for a solo woman on a tune from Polyxène et Pyrrhus by Colasse (LM/7800) : Consult the choreography
  • Entrée de deux garçons de la Nopce extract from Mariage de la Grosse Cathos de Favier : Consult the choreography
Intermediate-Advanced Level

“Classe de perfectionnement” or Advanced class

The technical and interpretation work for the morning class will be based on two dances from the theatrical repertoire. We will first study a solo for a woman notated in Feuillet system, with a relatively topical vocabulary, but offering an elaborate combination, requiring both rhythmic finesse and mastery of balance.
The second piece will be a duet for men from the Mariage de la grosse Cathos, 1688, whose notation uses Favier’s notation system.We will here approach the high dance style, with a more ornate vocabulary, here in the parodic version of a Noble Entry by two « wedding boys ».

In these two pieces, the focus will be on the different ways of execution of the steps and their accompaniment by the upper body (arms coordinations, effacés, orientation of the gaze…). We will explore the different qualities or tonalities of steps,  with attention to musicality and connotation of movement linked to affects.

Afternoon workshops

Group 1 : Terpsichorographie by J.E. Despréaux (I. Feste) / Favier Notation (H. Hazebroucq) / Body in volume : from the 2D page to the 3D space (G. Jablonka)
“La Terpsichorographie” : Presentation of the dance notation system: La Terpsichorographie, by Jean-Etienne Despréaux. Practice of notated exercises and comparison between the Beauchamp-Feuillet system and Terpsichorographie. The workshop on Favier’s choreographic writing system is an opportunity to learn  the different signs and their use in score, from its only surviving repertoire, Le Mariage de la grosse Cathos (Philidor / Favier, 1688). We will decipher a few brief excerpts from three dances, the Gigue des Filles de la Noce, the Entrée of the Drunks and the Passepied, to get used to identify the most common steps, approach various vocabulary, and study the issues of notation for different numbers of dancers, related to the specific analytical space notation in Favier’s scores. The body in volume will offer tracks to detach from the two-dimensional images and the flattening of the body on the notation support paper. The notions of functional analysis of the body in the danced movement will be fundamental to distance oneself from paper and find a body in volume.
Group 2 : Serious and grotesque Masks for the repertoire (H. Hazebroucq) / Contredanses générales by Ferrère (G. Jablonka) / Chosen Extracts from Quadrille des Saisons et des Mois by J.E. Despréaux (I. Feste)
Selected extracts from the Quadrille des Saisons et des Mois Jean-Etienne Despréaux, director of public and Imperial festivals, choreographed for the nobility of the Court. Some of his choreographies are at the BnF. This workshop offers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of these Court personalities (Napoleon’s sisters, Imperial nobility…) and to discover the technique used to perform these dances. In the workshop about the masks, we will  experiment with the use, as historically attested, of masks for theatrical repertoires, both serious and grotesque. The work will focus on the range of orientations in relation to posture and affect as well as the rhythmicity of his playing, connecting it with basic dance steps and the usual coordinations. We will approach the relationship to the « characters » and the intentionality of the movement, insisting on the specificity of the use of the mask for dance.A more general application will be carried out on two repertoire pieces, a peasant Entrée and a duet dance in a noble character. Most of the ballets notated by Auguste Ferrère in 1782 in Valenciennes include a general countrydance to finish these ballets. We will work on some of these group dances that serve to close a choreographic work for the stage.

Dates et schedule

  • Sa Aug.26th 2023 6 pm : welcoming and collective dancing time
  • Sun Aug 27th till Thu 31st : 10 am-6 pm technical class, workshops, talks
  • Fri Sep 1st : 10 am-2 pm classes then public presentation gathering all participants
  • Optional,convivial moments : walk through the Paris of dancing masters, dinner on the banks of the Seine…
Emploi du temps général Académie Pécour 2023

Training locations and access

  • Micadanses, 15, 16 et 20 rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, 75004 Paris : we will train in three different studios MayB, Noces et Biped.
  • Public transport access : Metro 7 Pont Marie or Metro 1 St Paul, easily accessible also over Châtelet-Les Hallesstation then a 10 minutes walk.

These studios are easily accessible by Châtelet-Les Halles, the main metro and RER exchange station, for those who would choose accommodation far from Paris and therefore cheaper.

The area has supermarkets and fast food options for easy and convenient lunches. It is possible to eat outdoors to enjoy the neighborhood or indoors in case of rain.

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Cost of Training

  • Registration fee : 50 € obligatory to validate the registration and non-refundable
  • Educational fee : 270 € for registration before May 1st 2023, otherwise 310 € for registration after this date

Accommodation and meals are the responsibility of the participants. For advice, do not hesitate to contact us.

To register

Complete the form by clicking on the button below. You will receive a response as soon as possible. Professors reserve the right to make you another proposal. If your request is accepted, the terms of payment will be specified. For candidates whom teachers do not know, please attach a CV and a link to a video where you are seen dancing.

Access the online application form

Why this academy ?

    Baroque dance is reaching an increasingly large international audience and is gaining ground in more and more different countries. However, once at a certain level, it is often difficult for amateur and professional dancers to continue to progress due to the lack of advanced students to fill local classes. This academy proposes to gather for a week these dancers in demand of a high level work provided by quality teachers.

Why referring to Pecour ?

    Guillaume Louis Pécour was a key figure in the dance world around 1700. He succeeded Pierre Beauchamp as ballet master to the court and Opera. Both his ball dances and his ballet entrées are transcribed by Feuillet into the Chorégraphie notation system and Pierre Rameau receives from him a public approval for the content of the publication Le Maître à Danser. Pécour is the keystone of the dance building in the Baroque era. It then seems relevant as a reference for a baroque dance academy in Paris.
Since 2006, Divertimenty has been offering live performances and actions around the dance culture of the 18th century. The creations are fortified by current theoretical and practical research to anchor the contemporary aspect of the new baroque generation that the company embodies.

Why these trainers ?

    The trainers are all professionals of the Baroque world in activity and with a recognized career. They are particularly distinguished by their involvement in practical research activities around baroque dance.

Which prerequisites ?

    This academy is aimed at participants with a technical level in baroque dance from intermediate/advanced to advanced/professional.

What outfit to learn ?

    The teaching team expressly requests a pair of adapted dance shoes with wide heel. (for example Cabaret model of the brand Sansha at 28 to 35 € per pair). The rest of the outfit should be soft and comfortable but not too loose at the legs so that teachers can correct students.

What is baroque dance  ?

    What is now called «baroque dance» is the result of some fifty years of research into the restitution and putting on shows of the academic dance of French origin practiced in the 17th and 18th centuries.
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La danse est un art du divertissement qui permet de percevoir le monde autrement. Divertir baroque, c’est ouvrir l’imaginaire contemporain …
L’étrangeté du baroque n’est pas une fatalité. Voir, goûter, toucher cette danse est la mission que vous nous confiez et que nous nous attachons à remplir …
Tous les curieux ont le droit de se former à la danse baroque à leur niveau. Apprendre à connaître et ressentir cet art du corps noble et académique …
Les traces écrites de la danse au XVIIIe siècle sont sources d’un mouvement global de travail en studio : nous tâchons de restituer et surtout de mieux …
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A lire aussi :

SHOWS BY DIVERTIMENTY

Les Coulisses du Ballet vénitien

Les Coulisses du Ballet vénitien

Introduction a la Danse Baroque

Introduction a la Danse Baroque

divertimenty_separateur
About the compagnie
Since 2006, Divertimenty has been offering live performances and actions around the dance culture of the 18th century. The creations are fortified by current theoretical and practical research to anchor the contemporary aspect of the new baroque generation that the company embodies.
Contact

contact at divertimenty.org

Choreographer
Guillaume Jablonka
+33 06.62.52.50.28

Administrative contact
Vanessa Colas
+33 06.42.87.00.62

 

Mentions légales

Directeur de la publication : Martine Ravaine

Réalisation : Rachel COUDRAY pour POLIPHILIA – 2014

Hébergement : OVH

Crédits photographiques : Mélanie Foucault, Christophe Perricon, Valérian, Poliphilia, Alice Bloch (Opéra comique)

SIRET : 507 739 662 00025

APE : 9001 Z

Licence d’entrepreneur du spectacle PLATESV-R-2021-013023

Organisme de formation professionnelle 11 92 17047 92

Charte de confidentialité

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