New Collection of Dances
Nouveau Recüeil de Dances
Reviving yearly collections of dances
In this ambitious project Mercurius Company proposes to revive the 18th-century tradition of publishing yearly collections of dances, whilst engaging both outstanding and emerging choreographers by publishing their notated choreographies in Beauchamps-Feuillet system. The publication shall provide professional and amateur Baroque dancers today with so-needed new material, and offer a glimpse of each choreographer's creative style, their approach, their interpretation and/or reworking of Baroque aesthetics.
Above all, this initiative will ensure the corpus of precious contemporary 'Baroque' choreographic creations will be preserved for generations to come!
Volume I: RESTORATION THEATRE
The launching volume (2020) contains 16 choreographies by Ricardo Barros, set to music by Purcell and Locke for the Restoration stage. The dances vary from solos to groups of 6 dancers:
MATTHEW LOCKE
The Tempest (1667): Courante (a 2), Sarabande (a 2), Galliard (a 2)
HENRY PURCELL
Dido & Aeneas (c.1688): Dance of the Nymphs (a 2)
Circe (1690): Magicians Dance (a 2)
Dioclesian (1690): Menuet (a 2), Menuet (a 6), Two in One upon a Ground (a 4),
Sarabande (solo)
The Gordion Knot Unty'd (1691): Menuet (a 4)
King Arthur (1691): Hornpipe (a2), Bouree (a 2)
The Old Bachelor (1693): Hornpipe (a 2)
Abdelazer (1695): Hornpipe (a 2), Jig (solo)
The Indian Queen (1695): Gavotte 'Spirits of the Air' (a 4)
A4 format, 124 pages, paperback, printed in quality 120gsm textured paper, containing choreographer's notes and indications for performance. First edition: 300 copies. Price: £28 +pp.
A booklet of scores and parts (edited in modern print) is also available for digital purchase and download.
CHOREOGRAPHIC SAMPLES
(Images below are unedited choreographer's notation.
All choreographies will be rewritten to publication standards)
