Montoya, Pilar. "The Minuet under the Reign of Philip V."

Montoya, Pilar. "The Minuet under the Reign of Philip V." In Perception and Reception of Early Dance [Proceedings of the Early Dance Circle Conference held on 18-20 May 2018], edited by Barbara Segal and Sharon Butler, 133-142. Cambridge: Early Dance Circle, 2020.

URL: https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/12-Pilar-Montoya-26.10.2020.pdf


Abstract:
The purpose of this communication is to enquire into the reception of French dance in Spain during the reign of Felipe V (1700-1746) through one of its most emblematic choreographic manifestations: the Minué.

This genre, together with the Contradanza, enjoyed enormous acceptance in our country, popularity that increased throughout the century as it reflected the number of sources preserved. In fact, everyone danced a la francesa in Spanish salons and the manuals explain very carefully the steps, choreographies and protocol rules. However, what remains of the Spanish tradition? How does it coexist with the fashionable foreign repertoire? Can we speak of a new hybrid style, the fruit of the cultural interrelation between both countries?

Regardless of finding answers or not to the aforementioned questions, the rich content of these sources provides interesting information about the most common repertoire in the courtly society of that time. The discovery of concordances with French treatises is a significant fact that denotes the circulation of a common musical-choreographic corpus, known and practised assiduously among the nobility.

In sum, the comparative analysis of these documents, complemented by the study of reference works by contemporary researchers, will allow links to be established that help to draw conclusions about the ever complex task of recreating the Spanish choreographic heritage of this period.