Reviving yearly collections of dances

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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!

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Volume I: RESTORATION THEATRE

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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:

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MATTHEW LOCKE

The Tempest (1667): Courante (a 2), Sarabande (a 2), Galliard (a 2)

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HENRY PURCELL

Dido & Aeneas (c.1688): Dance of the Nymphs (a 2)

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Circe (1690): Magicians Dance (a 2)

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Dioclesian (1690): Menuet (a 2), Menuet (a 6), Two in One upon a Ground (a 4),

Sarabande (solo)

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The Gordion Knot Unty'd (1691): Menuet (a 4)

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King Arthur (1691): Hornpipe (a2), Bouree (a 2)

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The Old Bachelor (1693): Hornpipe (a 2)

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Abdelazer (1695): Hornpipe (a 2), Jig (solo)

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The Indian Queen (1695): Gavotte 'Spirits of the Air' (a 4)

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