Kimiko Okamoto - La Belle Dance – Essential Dances from Court (Book + CD)

La Belle Dance – Essential Dances from Court and Theatre in Early Eighteenth Century France and England

This book, by Kimiko Okamoto, contains 21 notations of ballroom and simple theatre dances from the Baroque period, together with their accompanying music.

The book is designed as a Baroque dance primer. It has an introduction which provides essential information such as the definitions of 26 basic steps (illustrated with their notational symbols) and 15 standard dance types, as well as brief biographies of 8 choreographers and a glossary of 10 historical terms and concepts relevant to the topic. 

Each notation is presented with source and background information, together with some analytical commentary and practical advice.

The book has 130 pages and an included CD with 21 tracks.

Tracklist

1. La Savoye
2. La Gavotte de Seaux
3. The Princess Royale
4. Le Rigaudon des Vaisseaux
5. La Lorraine 
6. L’Allemande
7. The Prince of Wales
8. The Minuet En
9. Entrée seul pour une femme
10. Folie d’Espagne pour femme
11. Chacoon for Harlequin
12. Gigue à deux
13. Aimable Vainqueur
14. The Princess Amelia
15. La Matelotte
16. The Address
17. La Bourée d’Achille
18. La Bourgogne
19. La Czarienne
20. La Denain
21. The Princess Ann’s Chacone 

The Broadside Band: Jeremy Barlow (director, harpsichord), Sharon Lindo (violin), Rosemary Thorndycraft (viola da gamba). Ibrahim Aziz (director, baroque violoncello), George Clifford (baroque violin), Oonagh Lee (baroque oboe, recorders), Yat-Soon Yeo (harpsichord)

Consort de Danse Baroque: Andrew Wilson-Dickson (director, harpsichord), Emma Harrhy (baroque violoncello), Eileen Silcocks (recorders, baroque flute), Barry D’Souza (baroque violin)

Copenhagen Baroque Musicians (dir Jørgen Schou-Pedersen)

Accademia Amsterdam: Onno Verschoor (recorders), Lucas van Helsdingen (oboe), Henriëtte Bakker (bassoon, recorders), Jam Pieter van Coolwijk (violin), Susanne Braumann (viola da gamba), Harjo Neutkens (lute, theorbo, guitar), Ursula Dütschler (harpsichord)