Courtly Dance of the Renaissance: A New Translation and Edition of the Nobilta Di Dame (1600) (Paperback)

by Fabritio Caroso (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Renaissance classic includes choreography and music for 49 dances, plus all-important guidance on how to dress, how to behave and how to carry oneself while dancing at court, set down with utmost clarity and precision. Indispensable source of authentic information on courtly dance in the period from 1550 to 1610. Full scholarly apparatus. Translated and edited by Julia Sutton.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (October 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486286193
• ISBN-13: 978-0486286198
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #198,364 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for the Historical Dance Enthusiast, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This book is a wonderful reference tool for anyone interested in historical dancing! Translated and Edited by none other than Julia Sutton, this book explains many of the social dances and practices of the aristocrats. It includes the dance steps, an explanation of how they occur, music, and labnotation. This book is truly a must have for anyone with a serious desire to understand dance practices of the times!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent source, but not for beginners, June 3, 2005

By	E. F. Winerock (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Julia Sutton is one of the leading Renaissance dance historians, and this work reflects her careful scholarship. However, while "Courtly Dance of the Renaissance" does contain Fabritio Caroso's explanations of steps and choreographies, it is quite difficult to reconstruct dances from these descriptions. There are many ambiguities in the instructions, and since Sutton's goal is to provide an accurate translation rather than an interpretation, she leaves these conundrums intact. Sutton also translates the names of the steps into English, which makes this volume harder to use in conjunction with other Renaissance dance resources, which leave them in Italian. Nevertheless, for those with some grounding in dances of this period, "Courtly Dance of the Renaissance" is a critical source, and the wonderful discussions of etiquette and costume require no prior knowledge to enjoy.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-have for Renaissance Dance, July 1, 2009

By	Urraca - See all my reviews

Nobilta Di Dame is one of the major sources for information on renaissance dance. It contains detailed "rules" for how to do the various 16th century dance steps, as well as choreographies with music. However, this book is a translation, not a reconstruction of these dances. You still have to do the work of figuring out how to dance them yourself. Nevertheless, if you have any interest in 16th century dance, this book is worth buying, even if you don't dance the specific choreographies contained in it. Sutton's overview of the dance types of the period and the chapters discussing the issues involved in translating the text and music would be of use to anyone who is interested in the process of reconstructing dances from primary sources.

Dover Publications has done the historical dance community a great service by making the paperback edition of this work available.