Evolution of the forms of sources on classical dance technique in the methodological literature of the second half of the 15th – first half of the 20th centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of the forms of literary works on classical dance technique of the second half of the 15th – first half of the 20th century, among which are educational and methodological manuals, dance notations, theoretical, historical and critical works, and classical dance curriculums. The creation of the first theoretical works on the art of choreography determines the upper temporal boundary of the chronological framework of the research. The development of the first classical dance curriculums determines the lower chronological limit. Until now, curriculums have not been regarded as an autonomous source, allowing to objectively assess the level of performing skills in their historical development. The research is aimed to identify the prerequisites for the emergence of this form of explanation and description of classical dance technique. It is hypothesized that already in the earliest theoretical works, the programmatic approach of the choreographic mindset can be traced. Using the historical method, the article makes a retrospective analysis of literary sources to reveal this pattern. The novelty of the research shows the importance of the classical dance curriculum not only in the evolution of professional ballet education but also in the development of the theory of choreographic art. It is concluded that there is a conventional form of classical dance curriculum in the content of the analyzed works. It was found that the methods of many outstanding teachers (P. Beauchamp, F. Taglioni, O. Vestris, E. Cecchetti) were described by their students, as they did not leave behind any published theoretical works. Other specialists in the field of choreographic art (R. Feuillet, A. Bournonville, E. Theleur, A. J. Zorn, V. I. Stepanov), on the contrary, combined several competences at once in writing methodology, theory, curriculums, and notations.