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Le Maître à danser (‘The Dancing Master’) by French choreographer and theorist Pierre Rameau (1674–1748) was published in Paris in 1725. Alongside his second book, Abrégé de la Nouvelle Méthode (‘Summary of the New Method’) from around the same year, it is one of the most important dance treatises of the French Baroque period, offering a detailed guide to the principles of noble dance as practiced at the court of Louis XIV and beyond.

Written primarily for dance instructors and their aristocratic pupils, Le Maître outlines the etiquette, posture, and technical execution required for mastering the social dances of the time. Precise descriptions of steps, arm positions, and deportment are delineated, with particular attention to the minuet, which Rameau regarded as the most refined of all court dances. His instructions also address how to move with grace, how to enter and exit a ballroom, and how to respond to a dance partner – all essential skills for navigating the highly codified world of 18th-century courtly life at Versailles.

Beyond its practical value, Le Maître is a key document in understanding the aesthetics and social function of dance in the late Baroque era. Rameau’s work complements and expands upon earlier notational systems, particularly the Beauchamp–Feuillet notation (1700-01), offering insight into how choreography and physical gesture reflected broader ideals of elegance, order, and hierarchy. In that regard, Rameau’s treatise is also a window into the cultural values of ancien-régime France, and it continues to offer scholars, dancers, and musicians a rich source for reconstructing the interplay between music and movement in Baroque performance.

To mark the tricentenary of this seminal publication, we have put together a playlist that showcases some of the best examples of Baroque dance music. From elegant sarabandes and regal minuets to flowing allemandes and lively gigues, it gives a nod to nearly 20 different dance forms. Music from ballets and operas is interspersed with more stylised versions of these dances for solo instruments. Expect to hear compositions from the pens of French masters such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and François Couperin, whose music would have been known to Pierre Rameau, as well as tracks by Henry Purcell, JS Bach, George Frideric Handel, and others.

Check out our glossary below to read more about the dance forms in the order they appear in the playlist, which is available on Spotify.

TRACK LIST

1. Handel ‘Marche’, from Scipione | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
2. Rameau ‘Marche pour la fête des fleurs’ from Les Indes galantes | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
3. Marais ‘Marche pour les matelots’ from Alcione | Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
4. Marais ‘Menuet I’ from Trios pour le coucher du Roy | Ensemble Molière
5. Handel ‘Menuet’ from Rodelinda | Harry Bicket & The English Concert
6. Rameau ‘Menuets I & II’ from Les Indes galantes | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
7. Lully ‘Menuet Dans ces lieux tout rit sans cesse’ from Phaéton | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
8. JS Bach ‘Menuets I & II’ from Partita No. 3 in E for solo violin | Rachel Podger
9. Rameau ‘Ballet’ from Les fêtes d'Hébé | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
10. L. Couperin ‘Sarabande’ from Suite in D minor for solo harpsichord | Christopher Hogwood
11. Rameau ‘Sarabande pour la Statue’ from Pygmalion | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
12. JS Bach ‘Sarabanda’ from Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin | Rachel Podger
13. Lully ‘Sarabande’ from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme | Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations
14. De Visée ‘Sarabande’ from Suite No. 7 in Pièces de théorbe et de luth | Jean Rondeau & Thomas Dunford
15. L. Couperin ‘Gavotte’ from Suite in D minor for solo harpsichord | Christopher Hogwood
16. Rameau ‘Gavottes’ from Pygmalion | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
17. Purcell ‘Dance for the Fairies’ from The Fairy Queen | Sir Roger Norrington & London Classical Players
18. Rameau ‘Allemande’ from Suite in E minor for solo harpsichord | Trevor Pinnock
19. F. Couperin ‘Allemande’ from Deuxième concert in D, Concerts Royaux | Ensemble Molière
20. Rameau ‘Gigue’ from Suite in A minor for solo harpsichord | Trevor Pinnock
21. Rameau ‘Gigue’ from Les fêtes d'Hébé | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
22. JS Bach ‘Gigue’ from Partita No. 3 in E for solo violin | Rachel Podger
23. Delalande ‘Gigue’ from Première Suite, Symphonies pour les soupers du Roy | Ensemble Molière
24. Lully ‘Gigue’ from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme | Jordi Savall & Le Concert Des Nations
25. Rameau ‘Danse de Sauvages’ from Les Indes galantes | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
26. De Visèe ‘Mascarade, rondeau’ from Suite No. 7 in Pièces de théorbe et de luth | Jean Rondeau & Thomas Dunford
27. Rameau ‘Tambourin en rondeau’ from Les fêtes d'Hébé | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
28. Rameau ‘Tambourins I & II Partez’ from Les Indes galantes | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
29. Rameau ‘Les Trois Mains’ from Suite in A minor for solo harpsichord | Trevor Pinnock
30. Lully ‘Loure pour les Pêcheurs’ from Alceste | Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations
31. Rameau ‘Rigaudons I & II Fuyez vents orageaux’ from Les Indes galantes | William Christie & Les Arts Florissants
32. JS Bach ‘Corrente’ from Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin | Rachel Podger
33. Lully ‘Bourrée du divertissement de Chambord’ from Le divertissement royal de Versailles | Jordi Savall & Le Concert Des Nations
34. Lully ‘Contredanse’ from Pygmalion | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
35. Purcell ‘Dance for the Green Men’ from The Fairy Queen | Sir Roger Norrington & London Classical Players
36. Lully ‘Danse de Neptune’ from Le divertissement royal de Versailles | Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations
37. Lully ‘Passacaille’ from Persée | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
38. Lully ‘Chaconne de l'amour médecin’ | Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations
39. Lully ‘Chaconne’ from Phaéton | Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques
40. Purcell ‘Chaconne’ from The Fairy Queen | Sir Roger Norrington & London Classical Players

Glossary - Baroque Dance Forms

Marche: More ceremonial than danced, the Baroque march adds pomp and grandeur to theatrical and military contexts. It features strong duple meter and rhythmic regularity. Composers used marches in operas and ballets to announce kings, gods, or celebratory scenes with majesty and clarity.

Menuet: The quintessential Baroque court dance, the menuet is in graceful triple time with symmetrical phrasing. Elegant and refined, it was a staple of French court life and a favourite of Louis XIV. In instrumental suites and theatrical scenes, it became a symbol of order, charm, and social ritual.

Ballet/Danse: Danse or ballet in Baroque contexts often refers to choreographed sequences from stage works, encompassing various dance types and stylised movements. As narrative, celebratory, or allegorical passages, they provide colourful variety and expressive contrast.

Sarabande: A slow, stately dance in triple time, the sarabande was once considered sensuous, but became a noble expression of emotion in Baroque music. With an accent on the second beat, it conveys solemnity, dignity, and introspection. Bach’s and Handel’s sarabandes are among the most expressive movements in their instrumental suites.

Gavotte: The gavotte is a medium-tempo dance in duple time, starting on the half-bar. It exudes cheerfulness and balance, often used to create contrast in multi-movement suites. Lully and Rameau wrote highly stylised, charmful gavottes, while Couperin and others adapted them for chamber and solo settings.

Allemande: The allemande was a stately dance in duple time, often used to open a Baroque suite. Originating from German courtly traditions, it features continuous motion and elegant phrasing. Composers used this dance form to showcase expressive melodic writing and refined contrapuntal textures.

Gigue: A spirited, often contrapuntal dance in compound time (6/8 or 12/8), the gigue closed many Baroque suites with verve and rhythmic drive. With origins in English and Irish dance, it combines athletic leaps with intricate melodic patterns. Bach’s gigues, in particular, are well-known showcases of this dance form.

Tambourin: Based on the rhythmic patterns of the Provençal tabor drum, the tambourin is a lively, folk-inspired dance in duple meter. Composers such as Rameau used tambourins to evoke pastoral or exotic settings, making use of pulsing rhythms and repetitive motifs.

Loure: A slow, dignified French dance in compound duple time, recognised by its dotted rhythms, loure conveys a noble, at times pastoral atmosphere. Though less common than other suite dances, it appears in both harpsichord and orchestral contexts, offering a moment of introspection.

Rigaudon: A brisk French dance in duple time, the rigaudon has a hopping, rustic feel and a distinctive rhythmic profile. Often used in festive or peasant-themed scenes, it offers lively contrast within suites or ballets.

Courante/Corrente: The courante (Fr.) and corrente (It.) are contrasting takes on a moderately fast triple-time dance. The French courante is noble and rhythmically complex, while the Italian corrente is quicker and lighter. Both express a conversational interplay between voices or instruments, and were popular with composers such as Bach and Couperin.

Bourrée: Lively and upbeat, the bourrée is a quick duple-time dance with a characteristic upbeat. Popular in French court and theatrical music, it conveys energy and brightness. Often paired with slower dances, the bourrée was a favourite for composers like Lully and Bach when contrasting musical moods in suites or stage works.

Contredanse: Derived from English country dances, the contredanse was adapted into the French court with refined choreographic structures. Performed by couples in lines or circles, it is light, symmetrical, and social. Lully and Rameau used contredanses in opera-ballets to bring lively, communal spirit to pastoral or festive scenes.

Passacaille/Passacaglia: Closely related to the chaconne, the passacaille (Fr.) or passacaglia (It.) is a variation form built over a repeated bass. Often slow and in triple meter, it provides a framework for increasingly elaborate ornamentation.

Chaconne: Chaconne is a grand, processional dance form, built over a repeated harmonic pattern or bass line. Often in triple time, it served as a vehicle for variation, elegance, and increasingly expressive harmonic invention, often offering composers the opportunity to close works with dramatic weight.