Noverre, Jean-Georges

born April 29, 1727, Paris, Fr.

died Oct. 19, 1810, Saint-Germain-en-Laye

French dancer and choreographer.

His treatise Letters on Dancing and Ballets (1760) stressed the need for unified dramatic structure by integrating story, music, choreography, and set design, as opposed to the loosely connected episodes of the dance suite that then prevailed. This innovative approach

called ballet d'action, or "ballet with a story"

brought major reforms in ballet production. His invention of ballet d'action was challenged by Gasparo Angiolini, who had developed a simpler approach to the new form. In 1776 Noverre became ballet master of the Paris Opéra.

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▪ French choreographer and dancer

born April 29, 1727, Paris

died Oct. 19, 1810, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fr.

      distinguished French choreographer whose revolutionary treatise, Lettres sur la danse et sur les ballets (1760), still valid, brought about major reforms in ballet production, stressing the importance of dramatic motivation, which he called ballet d'action, and decrying overemphasis on technical virtuosity. His first choreographic success, Les Fêtes chinoises (1754), attracted the attention of David Garrick, who presented it in London in 1755. After producing such masterpieces as Medée et Jason and Psyché et l'Amour (at Stuttgart, 1760–67), he was appointed ballet master at the Paris Opéra in 1776.

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