The Loves of Mars and Venus: Recreating a lost 18th century ballet

The Loves of Mars and Venus by John Weaver was the first modern ballet, telling its story through dance, gesture and music, first performed at Drury Lane in 1717. Though music and choreography are lost, a new group The Weaver Ensemble was founded to re-create the work, for performances celebrating the work's 300th anniversary in 2017. Company founder and Music Director Evelyn Nallen worked closely with dance historian Moira Goff, award-winning playwright Stephen Wyatt, and opera director Jenny Miller to recreate one of the first ballets ever made, with a glorious baroque score.

There is a chance to learn more about this musical detective story on 9 January 2019 at the Royal Academy of Music when Evelyn Nallen (recorder), Chiari Vinci (dancer) and David Gordon (harpsichord) are giving a presentation Research Event: The Loves of Mars and Venus.

Full details from the Royal Academy of Music website.