Louis XIV

(fourteenth) and the

French
Tradition
Brenda
Armstrong
& Itzayana Felipe
Period #7, Int. Ballet
Due Date: February 23, 2015

Main Ideas
- King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was responsible for ballets vitality in France and increased its spectators/audiences
throughout the period of his reign
- nicknamed le Roi Soleil after his portrayal of Apollo (the Greek god of the sun and patron of the arts) in Ballet de la
Nuit (1653)
- Louis not only codified ballet, but also created a system of professional dance
- He founded the Acadmie Royale de Danse in 1661 and established the Acadmie Royale de Musique in 1669
-Ballet master Jean-Babtiste Lully and playwright Moliere created the comdie-ballet, while successors Jean-Phillippe
Rameau and Louis Pecour devised the opera ballet
- With female ballerinas starring in historic premiers including La Sylphide (1832) and Giselle (1841), many of the male
roles were increasingly being performed by women
- Shortly after la dcadence (a French term used to describe the decline of male participation in ballet) Serge Lifar, ballet
master of the Paris Opera Ballet, choreographed multiple pieces, brought a new energy to the company, and revived the
male ballet dancer, or danseur.
- In 1983, Rudolf Nureyev, director of the Paris Opera Ballet, was said to stimulate recognition once again to the
company.
- As opposed to previous directors, Nureyev searched for not social rank, but instead, talent in dancers.

King Louis XIV

Rudolf Nureyev

On the left we have Louis, the Sun God at a younger age. The sun shield, trumpet, and what
appears to be a mask really captures a complete essence of who King Louis really was; a man devoted
to the arts.
On the right we have Rudolf Nureyev, also very important in the history of ballet, more so that of the
twentieth century. Nureyev was too an artist, an entertainer, dramatic performer at times, but could
also bring a distinct, luxurious elegance when dancing.

Video links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHPNgSUIoE&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_De2BeQggT4

The first video is a clip from Le Roi Danse, a film situated in Versailles, during the reign of
King Louis XIV. He is projected as a lover of the arts as he dances to the music of his
talented teammate, composer and dancer Jean-Baptiste Lully in the 1653 Ballet de la Nuit.
The second video is, as mentioned by the narrator in the video, a piece from Tchaikovskys
Sleeping Beauty, performed by the Russian danseur and later Paris Opera Ballet director,
Rudolf Nureyev. I think this piece allows Rudolf to really showcase his sharp turning
abilities, while also leaking his personal feminine, flamboyant style.