A Treatise on the Art of DancingGallini, Giovanni-Andrea
History
A Treatise on the Art of Dancing
Gallini, Giovanni-Andrea
Dance -- Early works to 1800; Dance -- History -- Early works to 1800; Theater -- History
The truth of this will be easily granted, by numbers who have
felt the pleasure of seeing a minuet gracefully executed by a
couple who understood this dance perfectly. Nay, excellence in
the performance of it, has given to an indifferent figure, at
least a temporary advantage over a much superior one in point of
person only; and sometimes an advantage of which the impression
has been more permanent.
But besides the effect of the moment in pleasing the spectators;
the being well versed in this dance especially contributes
greatly to form the gait, and address, as well as the manner in
which we should present ourselves. It has a sensible influence
in the polishing and fashioning the air and deportment in all
occasions of appearance in life. It helps to wear off any thing
of clownishness in the carriage of the person, and breathes
itself into otherwise the most indifferent actions, in a genteel
and agreeable manner of performing them.
This secret and relative influence of the minuet, _Marcel_, my
ever respected master, whom his own merit in his profession, and
the humorous mention of him by _Helvetius_, in his famous book
DE L'ESPRIT, have made so well known, constantly kept in view,
in his method of teaching it. His scholars were generally known
and distinguished from those of other masters, not only by their
excellence in actual dancing, but by a certain superior air of
easy-genteelness at other times. He himself danced the minuet to
its utmost perfection. Not that he confined his practice to that
dance alone; on the contrary, he confessed himself obliged for
his greatest skill in that, to his having a general knowledge of
all the other dances, which he had practised, but especially
those of the serious stile.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account