#1 Ballet originated in Italy and later in France. - The oldest ballet, "The Queen's Ballet Comic" by Catherine de Medici (Ballet and World History 1)
//Summary - Level-C2//
Ballet, originally an Italian court dance, was brought to France by Catherine de Medici, who directed the oldest recorded ballet, "The Queen's Ballet Comique", in 1581. From the wealthy Medici family, Catherine moved to France after marrying King Henri II and blended Italian and French cultures. This foundational event marked the evolution of ballet from court entertainment to a global art form, with the Medici family playing a significant role in its cultural patronage.
A)
It is a common belief that ballet originated in Italian court dances.
When you think of countries famous for ballet today, you tend to think of Russia, France, England and the United States, so it may surprise some people that Italy is where ballet originated.
The oldest record of a ballet is the Queen's Ballet Comique, held in 1581 and depicted in this painting.
B)
Regarding the performance, I quote the following.
The Queen's Ballet Comique is = directed and choreographed by Catherine de Medici's ballet teacher, Balthazar Le de Beaujouille. It is the oldest ballet for which complete records have survived.
By this time, the queen already had a ballet teacher.
The queen is Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II of France.
C)
Catherine, who became Queen of France, was originally Italian, born into a wealthy family in Florence, married and moved to France.
This ballet is considered the oldest recorded form and is thought to have originated in Italy as a court dance.
Ballet culture, the origin of ballet performed by royalty and aristocrats at court, was established in Italy and France, and later, the Russian emperors also tried to incorporate European culture. This is how ballet spread internationally.
D)
What kind of family was the Medici family of Florence, Italy, where Catherine de Medici was born?
The Medici were wealthy families who funded a flourishing culture of artists and scientists.
E)
Why was he a millionaire?
The Medici family made their fortune mainly in the wool and finance industries. Cosimo de Medici laid the foundations, and his grandson Lorenzo Medici completed the golden age. This vital family supported the prosperity of the Italian Renaissance, with an understanding of art and culture passed down from generation to generation.
For example, Botticelli, famous for "The Birth of Venus", was one of the artists protected by the Medici family.
F)
Catherine de' Medici (as she was known in France) was born into the Medici family and married the King of France. Although she came from a very wealthy Medici family, she, unfortunately, lost her parents when she was a child. She seems to have been related to Pope Clement VII.
She married Henry II of Valois of France and was blessed with a child, but her husband died suddenly. She later became queen and struggled through political upheaval, but her artistic activities were not interrupted.
She seems to have inherited and was passionate about the Medici family DNA.
G)
The oldest known record is "The Queen's Ballet Comic", so ballet comics existed as early as 1581 (16th century).
However, it was very different from today's ballet and was a hybrid spectacle that included dance, music and poetry.
H)
Ballet continued to be performed in conjunction with opera, and it was not until much later that ballet was performed independently.
Calculating from 2019(2024), that was 438(443) years ago. In Japan, it was a time when Oda Nobunaga was in power to unify the country.
It was during this time that the word ballet was coined.
#1 Ballet originated in Italy and later in France. - The oldest ballet, "The Queen's Ballet Comic" by Catherine de Medici (Ballet and World History 1)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/2019/08/19/120000
#2 King Louis XIV who danced ballet himself - The dawn of ballet in 17th century France (Ballet and World History 2)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/2019/08/20/165755
#3 Historical background of the reign of Louis XIV - Mercantilism, Versailles Palace, Academy of Sciences (Ballet and World History 3)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/2019/08/22/213957
#4 Evolution from "Ballet for the Polish Mission" to "The Queen's Ballet Comic" Catherine de Medici (Ballet and World History 5)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/ballet_aux_ambassadeurs_polonais
#5 Ballet went from France to Russia - 1673 Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (Ballet and World History 5)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/ballet_russia_1673
#6 Russia's oldest dance school and Empress Anna. Predecessor of Vaganova 1738 (Ballet and World History 6)
https://blog.coruri.info/entry/ballet_anna_of_russia_1737
Ballet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet
Etymology
Ballet is a French word which had its origin in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo, ballare, meaning "to dance",[1][2] which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" (ballizo), "to dance, to jump about".[2][3] The word came into English usage from the French around 1630.
