Pierre Beauchamp

Full biography Pierre Beauchamp

Pierre Beauchamp was a French choreographer, dancer, and composer who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1636 and died in 1705. Beauchamp was known for his contributions to the development of ballet as an art form.

Beauchamp worked closely with composer and royal court musician Jean-Baptiste Lully, and the two collaborated on a number of ballets for the court of King Louis XIV. In fact, Beauchamp and Lully are credited with codifying the five basic positions of the feet and arms that are still used in classical ballet today.

In addition to his work as a choreographer and dancer, Beauchamp was also a composer. He is said to have contributed music to several of the ballets he worked on with Lully, although unfortunately, much of his music has been lost over time.

Beauchamp's legacy in ballet is enduring. His contributions helped establish ballet as a formal art form, and his work as a choreographer and dancer helped pave the way for some of the greatest ballets of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, his name is still remembered alongside other greats of the ballet world like Marius Petipa and George Balanchine.