Archives of the Dance: Dance Material in the Archives of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Abstract

It is sometimes assumed that the Royal Opera House Archives contain only material on opera. Although it would be fair to say that a large proportion of the collection is devoted to opera, it does also contain a considerable amount of dance material. The contents of the Archives reflect the varied nature of the three theatres that have stood on the Covent Garden site, and of the entertainments offered there. This article will trace the history of those theatres therefore before describing the formation and present contents of the Archives. As is well known, John Rich opened the first Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, in 1732. This theatre was primarily a playhouse, operating under one of two sets of Letters Patent that had been granted by Charles II in 1662. These Letters Patent allowed their owners sole rights to perform spoken drama in the capital, to build theatres, assemble companies and to call their theatres 'Royal'; but dance also formed part of the entertainment most evenings, being included within the drama or between items. The first major dance event at Covent Garden was the appearance of Marie Salle, the French ballerina, in 1733. The following year she created her own ballet, Pygmalion, in which she appeared in a simple shift with unadorned hair. The social and popular dances of the period, such as gigs, hornpipes and country dances, were also frequently performed as entr'acte divertissements.