Folia - Ensemble für Renaissance- und Barocktanz

By Dorotheé Wortelboer

CD recordings and manual for early dance
Netherland

Folia, ensemble for Renaissance and Baroque Dance, was founded by Dorothée Wortelboer in 1988. To date Folia can boast of a great number of dance productions. Although these are very different in character, they share two common starting-points: dances are either meticulously reconstructed from their original sources, or specially choreographed in period style to fit into a theatrical framework. Hence the productions grow into performances which are attractive and fascinating, even to an audience of non-insiders. The beautiful costumes do full justice to the dancers and the choreographies. Texts may be added to the wonderful dance material and this naturally goes together with the lovely music from the different periods.

Under the artistic leadership of Dorothée Wortelboer Folia worked together with Stephen Stubbs’ ensemble Tragicomedia, Jan Willem de Vriend’s Combattimento Consort and an orchestra of leading Czech Baroque musicians conducted by Simon Standage. Other projects included the cooperation of Accademia Amsterdam, lutenist Fred Jacobs and the violinists Mimi Mitchell and Heidi Erbrich. A series of dance concerts with the new Dutch Baroque Ensemble Restoration Company is in preparation for the first half of 2011.