Dances of kings, gods and muses: movement, scenic space and dance in the Baroque period.

 "The dance and music must so nicely meet
Each note must seem an echo to your feet ”
 The Art of Dancing, Soame Jenyns (1729)

These two practical sessions of stage work, each lasting three hours, offer an introduction to the codes of movement, gesturality and dance typical of the 17th and early 18th centuries, a period commonly associated with Baroque dance. Although they have been conceived as complementary and interconnected activities, they can also be taken independently.
The language of movement in this context is deeply rooted in the court environment of Louis XIV of France. The monarch, noted for his skill as a dancer, consolidated dance as a central element of courtly life, closely linked to music, theater, opera, and codes of etiquette.
Nowadays, the study of the foundations of Baroque dance and movement allows us to access a deeper understanding of historical performing practices. This knowledge can be applied both to the recreation of ancient forms of theater, dance and music and as a stimulus for new contemporary creative processes.

Who is it for?

The sessions are designed for singers, performers, dancers, musicians and anyone interested in ancient forms of performing arts. No previous dance experience is necessary.

Schedule and price

Wednesday June 10, 2026
– Morning: from 10am to 13pm
– Afternoon: from 17pm to 20pm

The two workshops can be taken independently.

Preu: €20 per session for external students. Associated schools: €17. Aeolian students: €15.

€35, €30 and €25 respectively, for the two sessions.

Teaching team: Tanja Skok, choreographer and stage director. Sebastià Bover, assistant.

Contents
The work focuses on the basic principles of baroque movement: body posture, steps, use of the arms, orientation in the stage space and relationship with the music.
Based on these elements, a practical approach to the codes of baroque dance is proposed that allows us to understand its scenic logics and its historical context, as well as explore its possible application in contemporary creative processes.

Topics to be opened:
- Body posture
- Learn some basic steps
- Introduction to the notation Feuillet de la dansa
- Recognize the close relationship between music and movement
– Recognize the importance of movement as a conditioning factor in musical interpretation (not only in matters of tempi, but also in accents, articulations and phrasing)
– Use of the arms in the formalization of dance and theatrical gesture
– Working with the stage space as part of the movement
– Exploration of new forms of physical expression

Course in English with possibility of translation.
A certificate of attendance will be given at the end of each session.

Tanja Skok

Tanja Skok is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and researcher in the field of historical dance. She studied at the London Contemporary Dance School in the United Kingdom. He later continued his specialization with renowned international artists and researchers in the field of historical dance.
During her artistic career and as a choreographer and / or dancer, she has participated in various international productions in both contemporary and historical language.
Highlights include the production of Johann Christian Bach's Amadis de Gaulle, the production of the Opéra Comique and the Opéra Royal de Versailles, and the regular collaboration with the ensemble Laberintos Ingeniosos. He also collaborates with the Ensemble Musica Cubicularis of Slovenia and Ars Musicae-Orquestra Barroca (Mallorca).
She is the co-founder of ARTS Alchemy, which together with the Vespres d'Arnadí Baroque Orchestra has presented one of her works at the Peralada Festival (Girona)
Notable is the regular collaboration with Andrew Lawrence King and Studio Opera Omnia in Moscow, as a movement consultant, pedagogue and choreographer where she has participated in the staging of the operas King Arthur by H. Purcell and St. Alessio by Stefano Landi .
He has been assistant artistic director for 8 years at En-Knap, a leading dance company on the Slovenian contemporary scene. He has taught contemporary and historical dance in numerous courses and institutions such as the Master of Guitar of the University of Alicante, Amherst Early Music Festival in the USA, Locopolitan Music Festival in Slovenia, and the European program EEEmerging of the Baroque Music Festival of Ambronay, France.
Tanja Skok is a teacher of movement composition, contemporary dance technique and improvisation at the Alma Mater dance academy in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Since 2022 she has been a teacher of Baroque Dance at the Luthier-Dansa School (Barcelona).

More information a www.tanjaskokdance.com

JF Rebel Chaconne, Les Characteres de la danse, Ljubljana 2021

Bach E-Motion. Tanja Skok, dance & Xavier Díaz-Latorre, lute.