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Dance is one of Katie Finklea's passions, and it's also a passion of many here in France. Katie opens her presentation with a bit of history: King Louis XIV was the founder of classical dance or what we call "ballet". His "Prime-Choreographer" was M. Pierre Beauchamp, who defined the five main positions of classical dance. Katie teaches us those poses this morning. Unfortunately, yours truly is taking pictures and notes so I can't conform to the unwieldy contortions. Katie has learned a lot about dance in France, including the fact that the heart of the whole system is in Paris, where Louis, the fourteenth of the name, first set up the national opera in 1661. Since Louis was a warrior, a hunter, and a splendid sportsman it was only natural that he would appreciate the physical demands of dance. Like many of us, Katie was a bit surprised that, just as in the US, not too many modern French males take to dance (1-2% she says). Katie also tells us that teaching dance here requires official certification from a nationally recognized conservatory. This is how the Nation hopes to preserve one of its proudest traditions... |
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This page last updated on 6/25/2004 12:30:14 PM.