This paper examines the transition of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries’ theories of ballet as drama in France, particularly those of C.-F. Ménestrier (1682), L. de Cahusac (1754), and J. -G. Noverre (1760). Ménestrier was one of the first theorists on ballet as drama in early modern France. He defined “unité de dessein” as rules specific to ballet for their construction to differentiate an authoritative rule in the era of “unité d'action”. In “unité de dessein”, the ballet is composed by conducting the subject; in other words, enumerating all elements of the subject. Therefore, a ballet could contain some actions and present diverse places and times. Meanwhile, describing the history of dance, Cahusac recognized that ballet changed in Quinault’s opera, as it was incorporated into the principal action of the opera. That is, Cahusac introduced the idea of “action” into ballet. However, the important point is, while in the tradition of “unité d'action” the unity lies in the consistency in creating works, the action in Cahusac’s definition is intended for the unity of audience’s interest. He insisted that if ballet sustained the audience’s interest by incorporating itself into the principal action, the audience’s soul could be touched. Noverre agreed with the concept of action as unity of the audience’s interest; however, he emphasized the unity of a scene, which is more momentary than the successive action in Cahusac’s definition. Noverre strongly criticized allegoric costumes or narrative monologues in ballet because they destroy the optical unity of the scene. Rather, he believed that the scene should consist of physical expressions, which imitate the passion of the character. In that case, the scene could achieve optical unity, and the content expressed by the scene could be read naturally and immediately by the audience.
Based on the above, it can be said that although the theories of ballet as drama had already begun to be discussed by Ménestrier, who was succeeded by Cahusac and Noverre, the important aspects of the unity of ballet changed between the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The origin of unity of ballet as drama in Ménestrier’s definition is the author who conducts the subject, and the work itself contains some actions and diverse places and times. On the other hand, Cahusac and Noverre agreed upon the concept of action aiming for the unity of audience’s interest. That is, the principle of unity shifts from author to audience. Particularly, Noverre’s concept of action is important in ballet as drama because the dance is not the only medium of expression. Rather, the allegoric costumes or narrative monologues play an important role in the narrative. However, Noverre pursued action as the unity of a scene for the audience’s interest, and created a scene expressed by physical expressions and therefore understood immediately and naturally by the audience. Thus, the story of ballet as drama began to be told by physical expression, and ballet in its current form was born.
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