PECOUR ACADEMY – BAROQUE DANCE IN PARIS – 3rd EDITION IN 2025

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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.

From Saturday 23rd of August at 6 pm to Friday 29th of August 2025 at 4 pm

Thème : 300th anniversary of the publications of Pierre Rameau and Anthony L’Abbé. These two personalities published about 300 years ago major treatises or choreographies for baroque dance. In 2025 Pécour Academy takes the opportunity to put the works of these two authors into practice during a week. Christine Bayle will offer an exceptional master-class at the end of the session.

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 different slots (14:15-15:30 then 15:45-17:00), each participant chooses a workshop for the first slot and another workshop for the second slot.

For each of the 3 teachers, the repertoire of the morning classes in 2025 is a choreography by A. L’Abbé on an air by J.B Lully. Click on photos to read biographies

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

  • Loure or Faune perform’d before his Majesty King William the 3d bÿ Monsr. Balon and Mr. L’abbé, on a tune from Acis et Galatée FL/1725.1/01 LM-5260 : Consult the choreography
Content of the class with Hubert Hazebroucq
This arduous Loure, published in 1725 in L’Abbé’s collection of dances notated by Le Roussau, is a remarkable example of « high dancing” male technique on stage. Lully’s music, originally composed for Cyclopes, had been used for a men’s duet created by Pécour. Applied here to the Faunes characters, it suggests a strong choreographic characterization of the half-human, half-animal characters, combining virtuosity and rusticity, affectation and clumsiness… In interpreting this dance, we’ll try to make this “high comical genre” perceptible.

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

Content of the class with Guillaume Jablonka
This fast triple meter dance is a challenge towards performing brilliant and precise steps. What technical content behind the « cabriole » sign ? The « tour de jambe » one? What kind of momentum to execute jumps or pirouettes ? These questions will help us make progress in the style of high dance of the 18th century, each one at his own level. The « Technique des Barres Flexibles » by Wilfride Piollet will provide useful leaning points and also visualizing support as the work on this dance progresses. The objective of this class is not to finish learning the dance at any cost but to go home with significant achievements on relevant excerpts.
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

  • Passacaille of Armide by Mrs Elford and Mrs Santlow, on a tune from Armide FL/1725.1/02 LM-6520 : Consult the choreography
Content of the class with Irène Feste
More often known as a dance for a single woman, this is the version for two women, choreographed by Anthony L’Abbé and performed by the best dancers of the moment, Mrs Elford and Mrs Santlow. This passacaille is a brilliant dance designed to highlight the talent of the performers through its vocabulary of varied steps and its relationship to symmetry.
Christine Bayle brings her passions and multiple experiences to the first baroque movement : classical soloist dancer, and, after Achilles tendon transplants, piano dance class accompanist actress capable of singing, then performer, choreographer, director, teacher within Ris et Danceries with Francine Lancelot. Since 1983, with her two companies L’Eclat des Muses and Cie Belles Dances she obtains several Project Aids from the Ministry of Culture and regions for around fifty creations with numerous dancers she has trained. Numerous French and global articles and publications participate in her transmission, AFAA missions and regular courses and internships as well as at the DMA of the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional.-1983-2013- of Strasbourg for musicians, dancers, singers and actors. Her research brings out two styles from the beginning of the XVIIth century, partly linking Renaissance dances to belle danse thanks to several CnD ARPD aids. Member of ProDA, ACRAS, CIRRAS…

Master class with Christine Bayle : La Nouvelle Forlane

Thursday 28th August from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm
A group of participants at the Pécour Academy 2025 will prepare La Nouvelle Forlane with Irène Feste from Sunday to Wednesday, then Christine Bayle will join this group on Thursday for a master class. The other group of participants will attend the master class for free on Thursday and all are invited to a drink of friendship in a Parisian garden at the end of the master class.

10 tickets for assisting to the master class of Christine Bayle are on sale at the price of 15 € per person by following this link: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/divertimenty/evenements/acces-auditeur-libre-ticket-for-assisting-to-master-class-christine-bayle

Afternoon workshops

Pierre Rameau’s writings, in conjunction with other publications, will be the constant throughout the afternoon.

Time slot 14:15-15:30 : The courante in the long 17th century (H. Hazebroucq) OR The dance steps : evolution and mutation (I. Feste + G. Jablonka)
1 From Arbeau to Rameau: the courante in the long 17th century.
Rameau’s Maître à danser is one of the last sources to describe the courante, a couple ball dance that appeared as early as the 16th century, and is emblematic of the Belle Danse. Drawing on several sources, choreographies and treatises, notably Italian, English and German, we will follow the evolution of steps, their structure and execution, as well as the forms of the duet, to identify constants and variants. We’ll also experiment with several versions for the “low arms” that constitute regular coordination for both the courante and the minuet.

2 The dance steps : evolution and mutation
Departing from a selection of dance steps, we will consider their evolution through different writings of great masters (De Lauze, Feuillet, Rameau, Magri, Despréaux,…). Putting into practice some examples from choreographies or workbooks will help us experience these mutations or continuities from one era to the next.

Time Slot 15:45-17:00 : La Nouvelle Forlane / Master-Class (I. Feste) OR Curtseying / La Blonde et La Brune / Menuet de la Reine (G. Jablonka + H. Hazebroucq)

3 La Nouvelle Forlane / Master-Class
We will be learning the original choreography of Guillaume Louis Pécour and its revised version by Pierre Rameau, notated according to his new method. Emphasis will be placed on the application of arm, body and head movements as possibly described by Pierre Rameau. This session will be punctuated by a master class with Christine Bayle.

4 Curtseying / La Blonde et La Brune / Menuet de la Reine
We will go back on the dance « révérences » before and after dancing, as taught by Pierre Rameau but also by other masters in order to note the differences and evolutions as well as how to recognize them in the notation.
The document entitled La Blonde et la Brune is written according to the choreography of the new method. Its reading will allow us to appreciate the nuances of this system. Its comparison with two other sources will place it in the major turning point of the dance of his time.
The Coursillon or Menuet de la Reine, attributed to Pécour, will give us the opportunity to work on various hypotheses for the minuet step according to Rameau, as well as on the most common ornaments  of the ballroom minuet – all the while familiarizing ourselves with the notation system used for this score. A link will be made with the version of Magny dated 1765 and attributed to Marcel.

Dates and schedule

  • Sa Aug.23rd 2025 6 pm : welcoming and collective dancing time
  • Sun Aug 24th till Thu 28th : 10 am-6 pm technical class, workshops, talks
  • Fri Aug 29th : 10 am-1 pm classes then public presentation gathering all participants at 2 pm
  • Optional convivial moments : dinner on the banks of the Seine…
Emploi du temps général Académie Pécour 2025

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.

If you have troubles finding an accomodation (prices or availability), please contact us and we will try to find a solution.

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 : 60 € obligatory to validate the registration and non-refundable
  • Educational fee : 285 € for registration before May 1st 2024, otherwise 325 € 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

Some pictures from the last edition with « Games and Variations » as theme :

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.
divertimenty_separateur
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

Concert dansé

Concert dansé

Caract’airs à danser

Caract’airs à danser

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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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