Staging Dance in Madrid Opera Productions in the Early 18th Century

The arrival of the House of Bourbon to the Spanish throne in 1700 brought with it a cultural change that manifested itself, among other things, in the adoption of French-style dancing in aristocratic salons, while Italian opera, both in its musical aspects and its staging, including dance, was introduced to the theatre. The culmination of this process took place with the performance of the operas Alessandro nell'Indie (1738) and Farnace (1739), as part of the celebrations for the dynastic marriages of Infante Carlos to Maria Amalia of Saxony and Infante Felipe to Louise-Élisabeth de Bourbon. The study of the decision-making process in the months leading up to the performances, in which the king and especially the queen were involved, provides insight into how dance was integrated into the staging of these productions. This research, based on previously unknown sources, makes it possible to draw comparisons with older models of dance in 17th-century Spanish court theatre, contextualise the staging of dance in these productions within 18th-century European opera, and show the influence that these court operas had on commercial theatre in Madrid at that time.

Diana Campóo has a degree in Spanish dance from the Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Madrid (2006), and a PhD in Early Modern History from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2022). She is currently editing her thesis, titled Dance and Court Culture in the Reign of Philip V (1700-1746). Her research is focused on the history of dance in Early Modern Spain. She is teacher at the Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco (Musikene) since 2005. In addition, she regularly collaborates as Historical Dance teacher with educational institutions such as the Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid, the European University of Madrid, or the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza and the Conservatorio Superior de Danza of Madrid. At the same time, she develops her artistic work as a dancer, choreographer and director of the historical dance company La Floreta, performing at important early music festivals in Spain, Portugal and Brazil.