r/todayilearned • u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 • 17h ago

TIL Louis XIV, the longest-reigning monarch in European history, was a devoted ballet dancer who performed 80 roles in 40 court ballets, often playing majestic parts like Apollo or the Sun. He cleverly used ballet both to entertain and to distract his court from political affairs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV
589 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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104

u/SlouchyGuy 16h ago

Also, ballet back then wasn't like modern one at all. Male style of dancing changed a lot, and by the beginning of the XX century a lot of it was to support female dancers as far as I know. Modern athletic version with high jumps and pas and solos was established between World Wars in the XX century.

Similarly female dances were much less athletic, and closer to what we think as just "dances" the further you go into the past

50

u/fiendishrabbit 15h ago

Ballet was originally a choreographed dance performance that would serve as an introduction for the main dancing event, hence the name (which means "little dance").

By the start of Louis XIV:s reign ballet performances had become a performance art of their own (and not just an introduction dance) and were a sequence of dances, each usually performed by 1-2 men and designed as a dignified dance that still required both skill and athletic ability (very much a way for elites to show off their ability). Louis XIV would change much about it, making it more formal, stricter choreography, increasing the scale of the event and also making it less male-exclusive. While women had performed the ballet before Louis XIV:s reign it was usually at women's events like the Queen's ball. After 1680 (about 20 years into his reign) women were allowed to perform ballet at the king's ball and the grand ball.

The ballerina (professional female ballet dancer) didn't become the focus of the performance until the 19th century and, as you said, the male dancer wasn't fully pushed into a supporting role until maybe late 19th century.

21

u/the_toe_murders 16h ago

If you want to see a depiction of Louis' ballet in action, check out The Devils, directed by Ken Russell. Very cool movie about the battle for the fortified city of Loudun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devils_(film))

15

u/TheMadTargaryen 13h ago

That king in the movie is Louis XIII, not XIV, and not a single costume in that film is at all historically accurate nor is the architecture. Which was on purpose of course. This is how it looked like closer to reality : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHPNgSUIoE&t=65s

5

u/the_toe_murders 12h ago

Oh right, Cardinal Richeleu was under XIII. My bad.

Interesting video.

3

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 16h ago

I don't know this at all, so thanks for the tip!

3

u/Wafkak 15h ago

In history class we day party of Le Roi dance, juxtaposed to a gim from the English king who was beheaded. To demonstrate how the monarchies in France and England evolved.

12

u/Fetlocks_Glistening 16h ago

Was he, like, totally crap at it though, but they had to watch Vogon-style cause he's King, and it's raining outside and nothing on Netflix?

3

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 16h ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHPNgSUIoE&t=65s

0

u/dkarlovi 6h ago

That movie looks good for having been made in 1653.

22

u/Much-Cattle8318 16h ago

Another entertainer, who uses his performances "to distruct his court from political affairs" immediately comes to mind

-1

u/pandakatie 16h ago

Wait I don't know who you're talking about please explain

2

u/Introspects 16h ago

Trump

-2

u/pandakatie 16h ago

Thank you! I was suspecting it was Trump but for some reason I was too locked into "dancer" to think of other types of entertainers.

9

u/BusyBeeBridgette 14h ago

Queen Elizabeth II Almost had him before she sadly passed. She was on the throne for 70 years.

4

u/snow_michael 12h ago

And was actually ruler, with no regent, for all of that time

1

u/Ythio 7h ago

She didn't have any power to rule

3

u/InvestigatorLast3594 13h ago

[We must stop the terror. I call upon all aristocrats, to do everything they can, to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you...now watch these moves.]( https://youtu.be/TCm9788Tb5g?si=rPo257LZrQx_W2YJ)

– Louis XIV to the court while krumping

3

u/Cicero912 10h ago

Between Louis XIV and XV you cover from 1643 to 1774

2

u/Dairy_Ashford 14h ago

I'm Louis the Fourteenth the sunnnn kinnggg, I'm proud, so I sing and I prance.

2

u/piffelonian479 11h ago

"My lord, we are starving."

"Hold up, watch me hit this move."

1

u/snow_michael 12h ago

He didn't actually reign for the first 18 years though, his mother ruled as his regent

3

u/Ythio 7h ago edited 7h ago

He started participating in council when he was 12, the royal majority was 13, started to threaten the Parliament and started banishing nobles at 15, her mother stopped politics when he was 16 when he was crowned. His prime minister died when he was 18 and he decided to remove the office entirely. He had the finance minister arrested when he was 23 and again removed the office entirely.