Not only for lovers of Italian renaissance dance: Charlotte Gschwandtner’s comprehensive presentation of the moresca from the 15th to the 17th century.
Link to the book
The moresca is a fascinating dance practice that was widely popular throughout Europe. In particular, its wide array of cultural and regional variants is evidenced for the 15th to 17th century. The notion passed on to this day that the moresca was nothing but a danced representation of the struggle between Christians and Moors at last proves to be obsolete.
This transboundary study by Charlotte Gschwandtner goes back to the sources and delivers an important contribution to the historical research of the theatre by exploring the moresca in the context of celebration, dance and theatre. Against this background the moresca and its dimension of grotesque movement pattern and mythical matrix takes shape. Professional performers of modern times can also be found moving against this backdrop.
Within this force field between representational practices and the traditions of popular culture, Charlotte Gschwandtner pursues the moresca in celebrations of court and city from Rome to Nuremberg. She also touches its presence in numerous pictorial records, literary texts and the comedie of the city republic of Siena. This diversity and dissemination distinguishes the moresca as an elemental dance in European culture whose importance has been underestimated.