Pierre Beauchamp
Beauchamps, Pierre (also Pierre Beauchamp;b Paris, 1631 (baptized 30 Oct.), d Paris, 1705). French dancer, choreographer, ballet master, and composer. He is credited with inventing the five classic positions of classical ballet. He trained as a violinist and dancer. He made his debut as a dancer in 1648, appearing in the court ballet Le Dérèglement des passions. He appeared in many ballets de cour with Louis XIV, whom he taught. In 1661 he was appointed the first Intendant des Ballets du Roi, thus making him responsible for the staging of all ballets at court. As a choreographer he collaborated frequently with the composer Lully, both men sometimes contributing both music and steps (Lully had started his career as a dancer) to the same production. Together they helped to change the face of ballet, both at the court and at the newly founded Paris Opera. As a composer Beauchamps also worked with Molière (who was in fact a relative) and wrote the score for (and conducted the orchestra) as well as choreographing Molière's 1661 comedy-ballet, Les Fâcheux. It was the first of many collaborations with Molière; later productions included Le Mariage forcé (1664) and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme(1670), both of which had music by Lully. On 19 Mar. 1671 he choreographed Pomone, the first opera produced at the Paris Opera. In 1672 he joined the Paris Opera as ballet master, working there in partnership with Lully until 1687, when Lully died and Beauchamps retired. In 1680 he was appointed chancellor of the Académie Royale de Danse. His most famous production was Le Triomphe de l'amour(1681), which was notable for featuring the first public appearance of professional female dancers. Following his retirement from the Paris Opera, he continued to work as court choreographer. As a dancer he was noted for his brilliant technique, and is said to have been one of the first dancers to execute tours en l'air. He also designed his own system of notation, and in 1704 sued his rival notator Raoul-Auger Feuillet for plagiarism. Beauchamps lost. Rather than inventing the five classic ballet positions of arms and feet, he was probably the first to codify them. He is sometimes described as ‘the father of all ballet masters’. He was also a noted art collector.
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