The Dancing King
Cynthia Quarta
language
(, Sept. 2, 2012)
By the time Louis XIV was born in 1638, French court ballets were well established. The time was ripe to professionalize the art of dance.Louis appears differently in various accounts from his own time and in later writings. He was loved and hated, feared and respected. His reign brought great prestige to France and a long series of wars with their accompanying poverty and taxation.Yet, none can deny the impact of his monarchy on France and, indeed, the whole world. The wellspring of visual and performing arts that was Louis’ France has continued to influence artists, craftsmen, and dancers throughout the intervening centuries.