The company
( pdf version)
Founded in 1997 by Véronique Daniels, the dance company RenaiDanse is an association dedicated to the promotion, the practice, research into and teaching of dances from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Based in Switzerland, RenaiDanse have appeared in many countries performing dance shows, involving the public in participatory balls, giving short workshops and masterclasses. Holland, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Slovenia…
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The company's activities are diverse, ranging from historical dance performances to balls with audience participation and educational workshops. Their repertoire is directly taken from original texts : Domenico da Piacenza (before 1455), Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro (1463), books on basse danses from the end of the 15th century, Thoinot Arbeau (1589), Fabritio Caroso (1581,1600), Cesare Negri (1602), etc.
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Artistic direction
Véronique Daniels has developed a "unique" style over the course of her years of research into and practice of the 15th and 16th century dance repertoire.
She enables the dancers and musicians who take part in the ensemble to take this style on board, along with her manner of approaching the repertoire. Indispensable elements of the music and dance, improvisation and ornamentation, are approached reflectively together by all members of the group.
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Other topics of discussion appear prominently concerning the manner in which to revive these dances during live shows :
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How to stage dances that were originally courtly and ball dances?
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How to share with the audience the pleasure that we take in dancing these repertoires?
-How to make the public experience the symbolic language that the choreography delivers to us, true reflections of the contemporary thoughts during an era full of riches?
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The dancers
The dancers of RenaiDanse have training in areas related to the stage, such as dance, drama or mime.
Véronique Daniels trains them in the dances of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
From reading the original texts, they study the style, learning the choreographies and expanding their vocabulary by exploring the possibilities of improvisation and ornamentation.
The dancers interpret both choreographies by Véronique Daniels and the original choreographies which have been extremely carefully reconstructed from the texts.
They are reclaiming the physical body language of the Renaissance, the meaning of a gesture, the sense hidden behind a choreographic description, the way one person approaches another, the relationship between man and woman.
Supported by the musicians, they bring to life the dances of the past and turn them into new creations.
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Véronique Daniels recreates an authentic atmosphere, a space avoiding traditional stage setting.
The dancers move "near" the audience, inviting them to dance, making them an active part of the event.
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The narrators
Silvia Freund , Hagen Seidel , Miriam Feuersinger, Reiner Schneider-Waterberg
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Technical production
Luc Quaglia provides the technical production for the company.
Luc designs the lights, organises and coordinates live recordings or filming.
He coordinates the props and scenery.
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The costumes
Elisabetta Busco, Jacqueline Opprecht
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Collaborations
Silvia Freund, Bernd Niedecken,Sigrid T'Hooft, Bernhard Gertsch, Alain Christen, Ingo Günther, Ann Allen, Miriam Feuersinger, Barbara Leitherer.
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The musicians
Veronique loves to surround herself with a varied group of instruments. Her instrumental choices vary according to the different themes, periods, and places appropriate to her projects.
The musicians work for many years with her and all have practical experience of renaissance dancing themselves.
The music is performed from original sources.
The musicians compose polyphonic versions based on existing monodies and make arrangements of other pieces to suit the instrumentation.
Following contemporary practice, they also improvise polyphonically around a melody or upon a given bass.
The musicians collaborate closely with the dancers and memorise as much of the music as possible.
This way they can easily react to the dancers’ movements, follow their turns and fantasies, carrying the creative energy of the company ever further.
Some combinations of musical instruments which are particularly suited to accompanying the dances of the 15th century:
Alta Capella :
shawm, bombard, slide trumpet and trombone.
Bassa Capella :
fiddle, lute, harp, psaltery, recorder.
Pipe and tabor, organetto, renaissance flute, bagpipe, viola da gamba and singing join the ensemble for some projects....
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