Francois Delsarte

Francois Delsarte & the Delsarte Method

Erin Henderson

Theatre History

April 24, 2012

Francois Alexandre Nicolas Cheri Delsarte was born on November 11, 1811. He was born in Solesmes, France. He died on July 20, 1871. ( Astrotheme: Francois Delsarte) Throughout his lifetime, François would be known for things such as his career as a French musician.

Little credit is given to Delsarte to his contribution to the dance world, yet he is responsible to the origins of dance in America. He may not have been a big contributor to the dance world in other areas, but dance historians cannot do such without mentioning Francios.

This “Delsarte” method became so popular that it was taught throughout the world, but particularly in America, by many teachers who did not fully understand or communicate the emotional connections behind the gestures, and as a result the method devolved into melodramatic posing, the kind that Stanislavski would later develop his inner psychological methods in response to.

The Delsarte system would be described as a system of bodily movements, designed to develop coordination, grace, and expressiveness. The impact of the Delsarte method can be later seen in early films such as Birth of a Nation (Early Acting and Pantomime).

While growing up, François attended a Parisian conservatory school in 1825 for operatic training. He ended his training there in 1829. After receiving training from the Parisian conservatory school, he was a tenor singer in the Opera Comique.

The Opera Comique was an opera company and it was also the name of an opera house that was located in Paris, France. The Opéra-Comique company was established in 1714 to offer French opera as an alternative to Italian opera that then dominated the continent. Productions at the Opéra-Comique were distinguished from those at the Académie Royale de Musique by their less formal requirements. At different periods, both the Opéra-Comique and the Opéra were united in a common...