Soirée Baroque: Dances from the Salon of the Duchesse du Maine

Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon (1676–1753) was the daughter of Henri Jules de Bourbon and Anne Henriette of Bavaria. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, she was a princesse du sang. Her arranged marriage to the Duc du Maine (legitimized son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan) was not a happy one. However, he did not interfere with her revels in politics and the arts, and her popular salon at the Hotel du Maine as well as at the Château de Sceaux. In fact, the Duchess du Maine was known as a legendary insomniac and renowned for her nocturnal fêtes at Sceaux. Her “court” was the opposite of that of Louis XIV. He was the sun, she was the moon. Upon his death, his wishes for the regency were not carried out and she was involved in a plot to overthrow the ruling royals.

Catherine Turocy will present a power-point lecture emphasizing the artistic side of the duchesse as a background to the dances to be demonstrated by The New York Baroque Dance Company members Caroline Copeland and Roberto Lara. These dances include both social dances of the ball and dances to Nicolas Bernier’s music for Apollon, Comus et La Nuit, a work presented at one of the evening entertainments at Sceaux.

In English

Seating is limited. No reservations required. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.