Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400 – c. 1470), also known as Domenico da Ferrara,
was an Italian
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...
dancing master. He became a very popular teacher with his students – most notably
Antonio Cornazzano and
Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro – who both later became successful dance masters. At a time between
1452 and 1463 he received the
Order of the Golden Spur.
Biography
Piacenza was born in
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
, Northern Italy in around 1400,
and was the first known dancing master to have left published dance instructions.
He began teaching dance in around 1440 and is believed to have taught elements of dramatic mime and elaborate dance.
He taught future dance masters Antonio Cornazzano and Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro.
He moved from Piacenza to
Ferrara
Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
during
Leonello d'Este's tenure as marquis of the city between 1441 and 1450.
Between 1452 and 1463 Piacenza received the
Order of the Golden Spur, and is believed to have been knighted by
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III ( German: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the fourth king and first emperor of the House of Habsburg. He was the penultimate emperor to be crow ...
. In April 1455 he composed a dance for the wedding between Tristano
Sforza and
Niccolò III d'Este's illegitimate daughter Beatrice.
In late 1455 he choreographed dances for the wedding between
Ippolita Maria Sforza
Ippolita Maria Sforza (18 April 1445 – 20 August 1488) was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Sforza family which ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 until 1535. She was the first wife of the Duke of Calabria, who later reigned as King Alfo ...
and
Alfonso II.
In the 1450s or 1460s
he published ''De arte saltandi et choreas ducendi'' about dancing and choreography, the oldest surviving European guide on dancing.
It gives instructions on various dances and also outlines what is required to be a good dancer.
He identified that successful dance consisted of many techniques: an understanding of musical tempos, knowledge of the prescribed steps, manners, agility, the ability to moderate ones movements, overall control of the body, and speed.
Piacenza died in around 1470 in Ferrara, Northern Italy.
See also
*
Renaissance dance
Renaissance dances belong to the broad group of historical dances. During the Renaissance period, there was a distinction between country dances and court dances. Court dances required the dancers to be trained and were often for display and ent ...
*
Italian folk dance
References
External links
Treatise "De la arte di ballare et danzare"(digital facsimile)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Domenico Da Piacenza
Domenico da Piacenza
Renaissance dance
Domenico da Piacenza
Domenico da Piacenza
Domenico da Piacenza
Italian choreographers
15th-century dancers