Sun King Protocol Teacher Guide Sun King Protocol
Teacher Instruction Guide | Lesson 1
Theme Political Control
Lesson Overview
This lesson introduces students to the concept of the Body Politic through the lens of Louis XIV. By transforming the nobility into performers, Louis effectively neutralized political dissent. Students will explore how physical posture (etiquette) served as a constant reminder of one's place in the social hierarchy.
The Hook: The Turnout Talk
Setup: Have students stand in pairs and engage in a casual conversation about their weekend.
Phase 1: Natural (1 min)
Standard posture, parallel feet.
Phase 2: The Courtier (2 mins)
Feet in First Position (heels together, toes out), back straight, chin slightly elevated. Must maintain eye contact and formal tone.
Debrief Questions:
How did the change in stance affect your focus? Did you feel more or less "yourself"?
Why would a King want his nobility to spend hours in these physically demanding positions?
Historical Context
The Fronde: Louis survived a rebellion as a child; he never trusted the nobles again.Versailles: A "golden cage" where nobles were required to reside.Dance as Career: To gain favor, a noble had to be an expert dancer. Failure in dance meant social exile.
Physical Symbols
The Five Positions: Beauchamps codified these to create a geometric, predictable "noble" body.Turnout: Originally based on fencing; it projects power and open vulnerability.Verticality: Contrast with "peasant" dances (grounded/earthy). The noble aims for the sky.
Facilitation Tips
Check for Understanding: Can students identify the difference between etiquette (the rules) and embodiment (how the rules live in the body)?
Differentiation: For students with mobility constraints, focus on Port de Bras (arm movements) and head positioning, which were equally vital for courtly status.
Body Politic Log Worksheet The Body Politic Log
Lesson 1: Louis XIV & Versailles
Name:
Date:
1
Embodied Etiquette: The Turnout Talk
Reflect on the simulation performed in class. Compare your experience standing in a "Natural" state versus the "Courtier" state (First Position).
Natural State
Observations on physical comfort, mental focus, and social tone...
Courtier State
Observations on physical comfort, mental focus, and social tone...
How did the "Courtier" stance change the way you perceived your partner? How did it change the way you felt about yourself?
2
Geometry & Control
Historical Concept: Pierre Beauchamps codified the five positions of the feet to create a standardized "vocabulary" for the body. This allowed the King to treat his nobles like soldiers in a drill or pieces on a chessboard.
Verticality
How does standing tall project power?
Turnout
Why "turn out" the legs instead of "turn in"?
Predictability
Benefit of everyone using identical footwork?
3
The Sun King's Strategy
Louis XIV said, "L'État, c'est moi" (I am the State). How did the requirement to dance at Versailles prove this statement daily?
Predict: If a noble was physically unable to perform these positions, what do you think happened to their political power?
Sun King Slides Revised Examining Political Power
THE BODY POLITIC
Louis XIV & The Sun King
"L'État, c'est moi."
— Louis XIV
The Turnout Talk
Phase 1: Casual
"Talk about your morning. Stand however you feel comfortable."
Phase 2: The Courtier
"Stand in First Position. Heels touching, toes out. Back straight. Chin up. Maintain high formal etiquette."
Immediate Reflection:
• How does your focus shift?
• Does your tone of voice change?
• Is this a sustainable state?
The Golden Cage: Versailles
SURVEILLANCE
Louis XIV moved the nobility to Versailles. To be absent was to be politically dead.
PERFORMANCE
Every moment—waking, eating, dressing—was a public performance with strict roles.
ETIQUETTE
Social status was dictated by movement. Who could sit? Who wore a hat? Choreo of power.
The King as Apollo
In Le Ballet de la Nuit (1653), the young Louis appeared as the Sun King, dispelling the night and bringing order.
"Dance was not just a pastime; it was a weapon of statecraft. To dance well was to show you were fit to rule."
Le Roi Soleil
Movement = Order
Codifying the Noble Body
The Five Positions
1
Predictability: Geometry allows for military precision in ensembles.
2
Turnout: Projects an open chest (sincerity) and occupies more space (dominance).
3
Verticality: The noble posture avoids the earth, reaching toward the divine.
The System of Discipline
I
II
III
IV
V
A physical language of social control.
Discussion
If your social survival depended on your posture, how would that change your identity? Global Thrones Teacher Guide Global Thrones
Teacher Instruction Guide | Lesson 2
Theme Universal Power
Lesson Overview
Building on the French court study, this lesson compares the Asante (Ghana) and Bugaku (Japan) court traditions. The goal is to identify how disparate cultures utilize dance to perform restraint, hierarchy, and political continuity. Students will observe movement patterns that signify "the noble body" across different global contexts.
The Hook: Visual Inquiry
Activity: Display three images (Louis XIV in high heels, an Asantehene in heavy gold Kente cloth, and a Bugaku dancer in a massive mask/robe).
France
Heels, corsets, tight hosiery.
Ghana
Heavy gold ornaments, bulky Kente.
Japan
Long silk robes, vision-obscuring masks.
Central Question: How does the clothing prevent "common" movement? What does it force the body to do?
Asante (Ghana)
Key Concept: "The King must be slow."
• Fontomfrom: Massive drums that dictate power.
• Movement: Measured, deliberate, grounded. Never hurried or "frenetic."
• Political Role: If the King dances poorly, he may be "destooled" (deposed).
Bugaku (Japan)
Key Concept: "Eternal Continuity."
• Gagaku: The oldest court music in the world.
• Movement: Repetitive, geometric, slow-motion. Focus on the four cardinal directions.
• Political Role: Symbolizes the sun and the stability of the Imperial family.
The "Noble" Universalities
Restraint: Nobles do not display erratic emotion; they project "calm at the center of the storm."Distance: Movement is oriented toward the ruler, maintaining a physical "buffer" of respect.Time: Slowness indicates that the ruler "owns" time, whereas peasants are ruled by it (urgency/labor).
Closing Discussion Questions
"Why do we see similarities in court dances from three completely different continents?"
"How does dance help a ruler seem more than human (divine or eternal)?"
Global Thrones Slides Comparative Court Studies
Global Thrones
The Universal Aesthetics of Power
Restraint as Status
France
"Tight hosiery and heels prevent common movement."
Asante
"Pounds of gold jewelry force a slow, heavy gait."
Japan
"Oversized silk robes restrict vision and pace."
Question: If you can't move quickly, what does that say about your life?
Asante: The Golden Stool
The Asantehene (King) is the center of the universe. His dance is a dialogue with the Fontomfrom (drums).
• Slow is Power: Only commoners hurry.
• Hand Signals: Communicate to the people.
• Destoolment: Bad dance = bad ruler.
Movement Aesthetic
"Measured, Grounded, Majestic"
Japanese Bugaku
Performed for 1,200 years for the Emperor. A dance of Eternal Continuity .
Geometric: Moving in squares, honoring the cardinal directions.
Stillness: Extreme slowness tests physical and mental discipline.
Masks: Turn the human into a symbol of the State.
"The ruler does not move for the people; the people move for the ruler."
BU (Dance)
Movement as Ritual
GAKU (Music)
Sound of Heavens
Universals of Court Dance
TEMPO
Deliberate slowness signifies power over time.
RESTRAINT
Emotional calm suggests superior breeding.
PROXIMITY
Hierarchy is shown through spatial distance.
CLOTHING
Restriction of body reflects social rigidity.
Can you have a democracy with court dances, or is inequality built into the very steps? Global Court Matrix Worksheet Global Court Matrix
Cross-Cultural Analysis of Power
Student Name
In this lesson, we compared court traditions from France, Ghana, and Japan. Use this matrix to identify specific movement choices and how they communicate political authority.
Feature Baroque (France) Asante (Ghana) Bugaku (Japan) Dominant Aesthetic Movement Tempo Restrictive Attire The Ruler's Role
Analysis & Synthesis
1. Shared Universals
Identify one movement quality shared by all three court traditions. Why is this quality effective for projecting authority?
2. Cultural Distinction
How does the directionality of movement (Vertical in France vs. Cardinal in Japan vs. Grounded in Ghana) reflect different ideas of power?
Critical Connection: Explain how "emotional restraint" in court dance might actually be a form of psychological warfare against political rivals.
© 1726 - 2026 | Royal Dance Archive | Comparative Court Series
Romantic Workshop Teacher Guide The Romantic Shift
Teacher Instruction Guide | Lesson 3
Theme Gender & Ethereality
Lesson Overview
This lesson examines the radical shift in the mid-19th century from male-dominated Baroque court dance to the female-centered Romantic Ballet. Students will analyze how the pointe shoe and the white tutu transformed the ballerina into a supernatural, unattainable figure, while simultaneously stripping male dancers of their courtly dominance.
The Hook: The Ethereal Ideal
Activity: Display a lithograph of Marie Taglioni as La Sylphide (1832). Ask students to list five words to describe her "weight" and "substance."
The Visual Lie
The image suggests she is lighter than air, hovering on the tips of her toes with no effort.
The Physical Truth
Pointe work requires extreme muscular strength, calloused feet, and high risk of injury.
Essential Question: Why did the Victorian audience want to see women perform "fragility" through such athletic "strength"?
Technological Shifts
The Pointe Shoe: Early shoes were just darned satin. This created the illusion of flight/otherworldliness.Gas Lighting: Allowed for dimming the house lights and creating eerie, moonlight effects (The "White Acts").The Tutu: The bell-shaped Romantic tutu allowed for greater leg movement while maintaining modesty.
The Gender Paradox
Rise of the Ballerina: Women became the superstars and high-earners of the stage.Decline of the Danseur: Men were relegated to "porters"—they were there to lift and support the woman.Escapism: The audience shifted from wanting to be the King (Baroque) to wanting to escape the industrial world into a supernatural fantasy (Romantic).
Teacher Note on Power: In the Sun King's era, power was Public & Political . In the Romantic era, power became Psychological & Ethereal . The ballerina's power comes from her unreachability —she is a ghost, a sylph, or a spirit who can never be truly caught by the man.
Ethereal Power Slides The Supernatural Body
ETHEREAL POWER
Gender & Tech in the Romantic Era
The 1832 Pivot Point
Baroque (The King)
• Focus: Humanity & Politics.
• Key Figure: The Male Courtier.
• Aesthetic: Etiquette & Protocol.
• Goal: To be the ideal man .
Romantic (The Ghost)
• Focus: Supernatural & Emotion.
• Key Figure: The Female Ballerina.
• Aesthetic: Moonlight & Mystery.
• Goal: To be the ideal spirit .
Tools of the Sylph
Gas Lighting
Dimmed house lights. Stage bathed in eerie moonlight glow for the first time.
Pointe Shoes
Rising to the tips of toes. The illusion of barely touching the earth.
The Tutu
Gauze bell tutu. Hiding athletic effort while creating a spirit silhouette.
The Invisible Athlete
The Romantic era made the ballerina a superstar, but she had to perform extreme fragility .
"The man's role shifted from a fellow noble to a 'porter.' He supported her unreachability."
SOCIOLOGICAL SHIFT
Ballet was no longer for noblemen to show status. It was a spectacle for the middle class to watch an impossible ideal.
The Debate
Does making an athlete look "fragile" empower them or disempower them? Sylphide Analysis Worksheet Sylphide vs. Soldier
Lesson 3: The Romantic Gender Shift
Name:
Date:
Part 1: The Lithograph Inquiry
In the Baroque era, dance showed the world who you were (a powerful noble). In the Romantic era, dance showed the audience what you dreamed of (an unattainable spirit).
The Ballerina's Body (Sylphide)
List 3 ways her movement is "non-human":
The Male Partner's Body (Soldier/Lover)
List 3 ways his movement supports her "ghostly" nature:
Part 2: Engineering Illusion
Pointe Shoes
How does this technology change the dancer's relationship to gravity ?
Gas Lighting
Why is shadow more important to a Romantic ballet than sunlight?
The Bell Tutu
How does this costume balance modesty with movement ?
Part 3: The Power Dynamics
Sociological Analysis: Why did the rise of the Industrial Revolution (factories, grit, urban noise) lead to an obsession with "ghostly" ballerinas?
The Male Decline: By 1850, male dancers were often mocked in reviews as "unnatural" or "porters." How does this reflect a shift in how 19th-century society viewed Art versus Power ?
Company Command Teacher Guide Company Command
Teacher Instruction Guide | Lesson 4
Theme Imperial Hierarchy
Lesson Overview
This lesson analyzes the "High Classical" era of Marius Petipa in Imperial Russia. Students will explore how the structure of the ballet company (Corps de Ballet, Coryphées, Soloists, Principals) mirrored the rigid social and military hierarchy of the Romanov Empire. The focus is on Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty as architectural blueprints for state order.
The Hook: Mapping Command
Activity: Present two unlabeled organizational charts—one for a 19th-century military regiment and one for a classical ballet company. Have students guess which is which.
Structure A
Commander → Officers → Sergeants → Privates
Structure B
Director → Principals → Soloists → Corps de Ballet
Observation: Both rely on absolute obedience, standardized training, and a clear visual distinction between the "individual" and the "mass."
The Hierarchy of the Ensemble
Corps de Ballet: The "Body of the Ballet." 24-32 dancers moving as one. They represent the citizenry or nature (swans/snowflakes). No individuality.Soloists: Distinguished from the mass. They have names and specific characters, mirroring the middle management or lower nobility.Principals: The "Stars." They occupy center stage and represent the Royal family.
Staging the State
Symmetry: Petipa used perfectly symmetrical formations to project a sense of stability and divine order.The Grand Pas de Deux: A structural formula (Entrée, Adagio, Variations, Coda) that establishes the perfection of the male-female royal unit.Romanov Patronage: The Tsar personally funded the ballet. It was his private PR machine.
"When 32 women in white tutus stand in a perfect diagonal, they are not just dancing; they are proving that 32 individual bodies can be forced into a single, imperial will."
Imperial Architecture Slides High Classical Era
IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE
Petipa, The Romanovs, & the Ensemble
A Mirror of Command
The Imperial Russian Ballet was an annex of the Russian Military .
• Dancers as civil servants.
• Physical uniformity.
• Absolute loyalty to the State.
Hierarchy Comparison
The Tsar The Patron
General Choreographer
Officers Principals
Rank & File Corps de Ballet
!
The "Body" of the Ballet
UNIFORMITY
Heights and body types standardized. Individual personality forbidden.
GEOMETRY
Lines and diagonals had to be perfect to represent "State Order."
ANONYMITY
The Corps represents the "common people." Always silent.
The Formula for Order
Petipa created a "blueprint" for the climax of every ballet: The Grand Pas de Deux .
1. ADAGIO Regal strength.
2. MALE SOLO Power & air.
3. FEMALE SOLO Pointe & precision.
4. CODA Grand reunion.
"A performance of hierarchical perfection."
Conclusion
Can you have a "corps de ballet" in a society that values the individual above all else? Staging the State Worksheet Staging the State
Lesson 4: Imperial Russian Architecture
Cadet/Dancer Name
Part 1: The Company Org Chart
Below is a pyramid representing the Imperial Russian Ballet. Fill in the ranks (Principals, Soloists, Coryphées, Corps de Ballet) and briefly describe their social/military equivalent .
Principals
Soloists
Coryphées
Corps de Ballet
Part 2: Petipa's Blueprint
The Symmetry Requirement
In a Petipa ballet, if 16 dancers are on the left, 16 must be on the right. What does this perfect symmetry tell the audience about the "State of Russia"?
The Grand Pas de Deux
The "Stars" dance alone, then separate for solos, then reunite. How does this structure reinforce the idea of Royal exceptionalism ?
Part 3: The Romanov Legacy
"I want my ballet to look like a garden in Versailles, where every tree is trimmed to the same height and every path is straight." — Attributed to a choreographer of the era.
If you were a member of the Corps de Ballet in 1890, what were your chances of becoming a Principal? How does this reflect the social mobility of Imperial Russia?
Reflection: Is a ballet company a Democracy or a Dictatorship ? Justify your answer using movement examples.
Modern Critique Teacher Guide Breaking the Bar
Teacher Instruction Guide | Lesson 5
Theme Legacy & Critique
Lesson Overview
In this culminating lesson, students transition from historical analysis to critical evaluation. They will investigate how the "courtly" traditions studied (turnout, hierarchy, gender roles, body standards) persist in contemporary dance institutions. The goal is to facilitate a debate on how to decolonize ballet and make it more equitable without losing its artistic integrity.
The Hook: The "Ballet Body" Standard
Activity: Provide a curated excerpt from a real-world op-ed or social media post regarding the "ballet body" (e.g., discussions on skin color, height, weight, or hair texture).
"Why are we still requiring a 'bun'? Why is pink tights the standard? Why must the Corps be identical heights?"
Discussion Question: Are these standards about Art, or are they leftovers from the 17th-century French Court?
Decolonizing the Barre
• Color Blindness vs. Color Equity: Moving beyond "allowing" dancers of color to addressing systemic barriers.
• Pointes & Tights: The shift toward flesh-toned shoes and tights instead of "pink" (Eurocentric standard).
• Aesthetics of Power: Challenging the idea that "noble" movement must be vertical and white.
Challenging Hierarchy
• Collaborative Choreography: Breaking the "dictatorship" of the choreographer.
• Gender Fluidity: Abolishing "male" vs "female" steps and partnering roles.
• The Corps Individual: Recognizing the value of unique bodies within an ensemble.
Project Prompt
Students will work in groups to "redesign" a 19th-century ballet company for the 21st century.
They must address:
1. Entrance Criteria (What makes a good dancer?)
2. Leadership Structure (Who makes the decisions?)
3. Aesthetic Standards (What should the dancers look like?)
Teacher Caution: These topics can be sensitive for students who are currently training in ballet. Frame the discussion as a critique of institutions and history , not individual talent or passion. The goal is "Evolution," not "Destruction."
Breaking the Bar Slides Contemporary Critique
BREAKING THE BAR
Decolonizing the Royal Tradition
The 400-Year Shadow
THE "COURTIER" LINGERS
• Deportment: Why prioritize "Noble" verticality?
• Language: Why is vocab exclusively French?
• Etiquette: Why the bows to a "Master"?
"Tradition is the preservation of fire. But what if the fire was built to keep people out?"
Question: Which parts of ballet are Art and which are Residue?
Decolonizing the Barre
FLESH TONES
Moving beyond pink tights to reflect global skin diversity.
THE STANDARDS
Re-evaluating hair and body norms that exclude natural styles.
PARTNERING
Moving beyond the Porter/Spirit dynamic toward equality.
From Empire to Community
Can the "Director/Tsar" model of leadership survive in the 21st century?
The Old Model
Top-down, authoritarian, and hierarchical.
The Future Model
Collaborative, transparent, and dancer-centered.
Evolving the Body
"Preserving the movement,
Design an Academy for 2050.
What do you keep? What do you burn?
Future Academy Proposal Worksheet Future Academy Proposal
Lesson 5: Decolonizing the Tradition
Lead Visionary Name
The Mandate
"You have been hired as the Artistic Director of a brand-new Academy of Dance. Your mission is to preserve the technical excellence of ballet while dismantling the 400-year-old structures of courtly hierarchy, gender essentialism, and Eurocentrism. Draft your founding charter below."
1
Admissions & The Body
Louis XIV looked for "aristocratic deportment." Petipa looked for "military uniformity." What do you look for in your dancers?
Abolished Standards
List 3 historical standards you will remove (e.g., hair texture, height uniformity)...
New Criteria
List 3 qualities you will prioritize (e.g., expressive range, physical health)...
2
Power & Governance
How will decisions be made? Will you keep the Director/Soloist/Corps hierarchy?
3
Visual Identity
Costume & Gear
Language & Terms
Founding Mission Statement
Summarize your academy's philosophy in 3 sentences...
