Historical Dance Program
Description of the Program
For more than thirty years
the historical dance program has been a highly
successful
part of the Amherst Early Music Festival, itself the largest festival
of its kind in the world. Students particularly enjoy the opportunity
for performance, along with stimulating classes by dance historians and
performers.
The theme of this year's Amherst Early Music Festival is "Music of the
German Lands." The Historical Dance
Program reflects
that theme,
with a focus on dance materials from these regions. The program consists of
technique classes and rehearsals (beginning
on Saturday, June 28, 2025), and culminates in a fully staged
production of Georg
Reutter's Dafne.
Participants
are entitled to attend many other
events (including English country dancing, concert and lectures) in the
evenings that are part of the Amherst Early Music
Festival. All levels of dancers are welcome.
Dance Class Schedule
Note:
First-week dancers who wish to audition for the Baroque Opera Project
(Georg Reutter's Dafne, July 4 performance) must arrive early to
attend the sessions on June 28-29.
Participation in the opera is reserved for full-time dancers;
others are accepted only by audition.
.
Saturday,
June 28
2:00-5:00 pm (with breaks!). Baroque
Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal. (Murray, Olsson)
6:30-8:00 pm. Baroque Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal. (Murray, Olsson)
Sunday, June 29
Early morning. Individual practice time.
10:00-11:30 am. Baroque Dance Technique Class/Rehearsal.
(Murray,
Olsson)
1:00-4:00
pm (with
breaks!).
Dance Rehearsal for Reutter's
Dafne.
Monday-Friday,
June 30-July 5
9:00-10:30
am. Baroque Dance Technique (Murray, Olsson).
Technique class
in eighteenth-century dance focusing on steps and phrases from notated
German and French choreographies
by Dubreil, Taubert, Pécour, Feuillet and others,
including various dance types (saraband, passepied, rigaudon, menuet,
bourée,
etc.).
10:45
am-12:00 pm. Baroque Dance Topic: Der Tantz-Kunst (Murray)
Looking at dance notations from German sources,
including the works of Dubreil, Pasch, Taubert and
others.
1:30-3:00 pm.
Individual Practice or rest. [Dance studio space will be
available.]
3:30-5:30 pm. Dance Rehearsal (Olsson, Murray).
Rehearsals for Baroque Opera (Reutter's
Dafne,
performance Friday evening, July 4, 8:00 pm). Possible evening
rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday. Opera dress rehearsal, late Thursday evening.
(Photos by Paul R.
Johnson, Kaspar D. Mainz, and Dorothy Olsson)