Baroque Dance at Versailles and beyond

Sound of Dance

Katie Derham explores dance at the court of Versailles - the dance music of Louis XIV and the French baroque, and the origins of classical ballet.

Picture the scene at Versailles - the Sun King Louis wielding his political power in court - and dancing. It seems strange to us today, but the two were indelibly intertwined in the 17th century. Ballets and operas were extravagant spectacles used to celebrate marriages or show off wealth and power. Louis was known as a great dancer, and in fact, he is seen as the father of classical ballet, establishing the first ballet school in a room at the Louvre palace. His key composer was Jean-Baptiste Lully, who created the first dances which told a story.

In this episode Katie uncovers a hidden dimension of the music in the context of the dance steps, including an interview with the baroque dancer Mary Collins, and musicians Rachel Brown and Adrian Butterfield, who are all working on a joint project, and an insight into dance and power from George Blagden who plays Louis XIV in the BBC TV series 'Versailles'.