Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Beauchamps-Feuillet Renaissance Choreography 1

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Pierre Beauchamp
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The Beauchamps-Feuillet system of choreography was one of the first systems of choreography, and one of the first systems of choreography used in the Renaissance and Baroque dance. There are several ways that choreographic notation might be accomplished:
  1. Diagrams (a 2-dimensional language) to show directions traveled by dancers on a stage floor and showing body motions, etc. Examples include:
    1. Caroso's "Nobilità di Dame", 1600
      2. .
    2. Pecour's "la Bourée d'Achille", c. 1700
    2. .
  2. Something resembling musical notation (staffs, clefs, etc.) such as developed by Stepanov. This too, is a 2-dimensional language.
    3. .
  3. Abbreviations, often using letters of the alphabet, to show sequences of movement that constitute a dance. "Letter" codes are inherently textual, thus linear, 1-dimensional languages. An example is the choreographic system of Thoinot Arbeau, found in his book "Orchesographie", 1589. The choreographic system of Pierre Beauchamp (1631-1705) and Raoul Auger Feuillet, c. 1653 - c. 1709 is a system of choreography that uses special diagrams to describe steps, that is in some ways similar to Arbeau's but is more powerful, and which was widely used, will now be described:2
  1. Perfomers (dancers)
    2. .
  2. Path dancers follow
    3. .
  3. Dancer's foot positions
    4. .
  4. Direction of steps
    5. .
  5. Dancer's movements: bending knees, rising on toe, etc.
    6. .
  6. Turns: quarter, half, three-quarter, full turns
    7. .
  7. Walking and jumping sequences
    8. .
  8. Taking hands
    9. .
  9. Arm positions
    10. .
  10. Arm circles
    11. .
  11. Lines of Liason and Rests (timing)
    12. .
  12. Feuillet choreography: simultaneous Foot and Arm Movements
    13. .
  13. Head Movements
    14. .
  14. A "Contradanse "Floor Plan, 1770
    15. .
  15. A Feuillet-style choreography, by Malpied, 1770
All systems of choreography must deal with several objectives. One objective is to mention the names of the steps, if possible, breaking down complicated steps into sub-steps such as turning, twisting, hopping, etc. Another aspect is to coordinate steps with the music. Yet another aspect is to desribe spacial position of the dancer. Yet another objective is to describe ensembles of dancers - how the steps of each are correlated within the ensemble. Another consideration is how robust the system of notation is: how easily may new steps and relationships not orginally considered when the choreographic system was originally created, be added to the system. Yet another consideration is how easily may such choreographic systems be used as a teaching tool. In this context, it has been pointed out that choreographer Jean Favier (as well as other choreographers) were very concerned with these considerations. 3
1 "Choreo-graphics: A Comparison of Dance Notation Systems From Fifteenth Century to the Present", by Ann Hutchinson Guest, Gordon Breach, 1959, Chapters one and two.
2 "Introduction to Baroque Dance", Two Volumes, 2005 (DVD); Whitley-Bauguess, Paige; Baird, Thomas; Musicians of the Baroque Arts Project
3 "Dance notation systems in late 17th-century France", Ken Pierce; Early Music, 1998: 286-299, p. 297 especially.

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