Monahin, Nona. "Writing for Posterity: A Reassessment of Arbeau's Orchésographie (1589)."

Monahin, Nona. "Writing for Posterity: A Reassessment of Arbeau's Orchésographie (1589)." Congress on Research in Dance [Cord] Conference Proceedings (Fall 2015): 125-135.


Abstract:
Many of Arbeau's step descriptions lack the embellishments described in Italian treatises, leading to the assumption that his instructions are incomplete and need to be augmented in reconstructions. However, arguments that may apply to other manuals—that certain elements were taken for granted by the dancers of the time—are not necessarily applicable in Arbeau's case, for he was not writing for a contemporary audience alone. In my paper, I reassess Arbeau's manual in terms of his claim to optimal transparency and comprehensiveness, and show how taking him at his word affects our understanding of the dance movements he describes.