Dancing Queen: Marie de Médicis' Ballets at the Court of Henri IV by Melinda J. Gough

Abstract

Reviewed by: Dancing Queen: Marie de Médicis' Ballets at the Court of Henri IV by Melinda J. Gough Catherine Gaughan Gough, Melinda J. Dancing Queen: Marie de Médicis' Ballets at the Court of Henri IV. UP of Toronto, 2019. ISBN 978-1-4875-2679-5. Pp. 378. Dancing Queen sheds new light on Marie de Medici's ballets presented at the turn of the seventeenth century and her enormous contribution to the genre of court entertainment as both patron and performer, most notably the ways in which the performing arts were used as a vehicle for politically engaged queenship. Thoroughly researched from a wealth of previously unavailable primary sources, this interdisciplinary project explores these performances through theories and methodologies derived from literary studies, social and political history, theater and art history, sociology, musicology, women and gender studies. The book highlights the queen's political authority expressed through textual and visual iconographies combining Christian and classical imagery, as well as a larger defence of Bourbon legitimacy in early modern France. Marie de Medici' fascinating role in the revival of the arts in Henri IV's court includes selecting lesser status performers or the king's illegitimate son dressed en travesti and her savvy use of court ballets for political purposes. At the heart of this project is the French-to-English translation of three early seventeenth-century royal women's ballets made available for the first time: Ballet of the Sixteen Virtues, Ballet of Diana and her Nymphs, and Ballet de Madame. The book creates a vivid picture of the ways in which cultural activities in France aided political legitimation and negotiations not previously explored in standard histories of French court ballet. The numerous images, as well as the extensive bibliography and notes, serve as helpful resources for further study in the field. Overall, the five chapters trace modern women's theatrical and political agency across linguistic and geographical borders, and the insightful analyses of the ballets provide a deeper understanding not only of the dances themselves but of the political implications for the Habsburg-Bourbon rapprochement. An engaging and informative read, Dancing Queen will be an asset to any French history collection and a keen reference point for research focusing on dance and women's studies in early modern queenship and court culture. [End Page 221] Catherine Gaughan Ryerson University (ON, Canada) Copyright © 2022 American Association of Teachers of French