Maria Kazimiera - childhood and first steps in dance

As we know, Maria Kazimiera came to Poland as a girl of several years with Louise Marie Gonzaga , who shaped her artistic sensitivity and her dancing skills. The dance teacher of Władysław IV's second wife was Jacques Cordier (d. 1653). This dance master of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, also active at the London court, 'although arthritic, lame, with crooked legs and long arms, holding his pupils by the hands, led them so well that they even performed dances they did not know'. King Wladislaw's resident in Paris, Domenico Roncalli , recommended on 28 June 1645 to his principal's new bride that she prepare for the arrival of the Polish envoys in Paris "ballets with music, machines and masks, as events particularly appreciated by the king".

The royal wedding - ball and dance at the Sobieski court
Professor Karolina Targosz speculates that the five-year-old Marie may have performed in the Wawel coronation ballet of Louise Marie in July 1646. Eight years later, after returning from her French education , the ward of the court performed the role of a reaper in a court dance performance, among other nymph-women, shepherdesses and wineglasses. In May 1657, she wrote from Danków: 'there is no way we are leaving here. We expect to dance here for three days". On the occasion of her wedding to Jan Sobiepan Zamoyski in March 1658, a wedding was organised at Warsaw Castle - Marysieńka gave the first dance to the King. Jan Kazimierz was an excellent dancer - he honed his skills at his brother's dancing court and during his numerous stays at West European courts, especially in Vienna.

French dance education - Paris as an art school
Shortly after giving birth for the first time, Maria Kazimiera ordered herself to bring in either music, dances or other 'masques'. In November 1659, she ordered Venetian masks with the upcoming Carnival in mind. She also enjoyed herself in masquerade disguise during the 1661 carnival. 'Please don't take it too badly that I am not writing longer...I regret the hour of dancing with jmp. stolnikowa, who is waiting for me', she wrote to Jan Sobieski. At the same time, she rejoiced at her daughter Kasia's progress in the art of dance, and soon sent her future spouse the libretto of a ballet 'which is now being danced in France'. By the time she arrived there (May 1662), on 26 February, she had taken part (it is not known whether she was active) in a ballet show performed by Queen Louise's honourable fraucère. From the beginning of her stay in Paris , she supplemented her education in dance, singing and guitar playing. She reported to Sobieski about her classes with the dance master of Queen Marie-Thérèse of France (K. Targosz supposes that it was Charles-Louis Beauchamps himself): "I am said to be very skilful; my metre says it is a pleasure to teach me, and vouches for success". In July six years later, the future queen had the opportunity to see the ballet 'Le triomphe de l'Amour et de Bacchus' at Versailles, with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully himself. Once again in France, Marysieńka's dance and ballet life at the court of Michał Korybut (1671) was reverently referred to by letter by the future Viennese triumphalist.

Family dance passions - the Sobieski children on the dance floor
Four years later, for the name day of (already) King John, Maria Kazimiera organised a spectacular ballet in the Jaworow garden , donating her own and the crown jewels for the costume decoration. On the occasion of King Jan's coronation, on 12 April 1676, a ballet was presented in the Senate Chamber at Wawel , performed by the courtiers and ladies of the court, in which the Sobieski girl (not even baptised yet!), who was less than four years old, performed alongside her uncle, the Count de Maligny. On 15 February 1680, Prince James led a ballet performed by the senatorial children. On 10 July 1684, a comedy and 'diversi balletti' were staged in Yavorov against a backdrop of lush vegetation , with the royal children and members of the court of honour taking part.

Masquerades and balls - Maria Kazimiera danced until the end of her life
Numerous masquerades and balls, especially during the carnival season (e.g. the one in Zhovkva in November/December 1676 or on 17 February 1686 ) were an opportunity to showcase the monarch's dancing skills. As late as at a masquerade in 1696, held at the palace of Dominik Mikołaj Radziwiłł, the queen appeared as a Jewish girl , 'dancing with the others', by implication with the younger participants of the pageant. Maria Kazimiera's 'choreic' genes were inherited in particular by Jakub Ludwik and Teresa Kunegunda. The latter is said to have regarded dancing as the most effective remedy for all health ailments. Like her mother 40 years earlier, she impressed her future husband with a dance (24 April 1694); this time not with her French allure, but with the audacity of her performance of Hungarian tributes. The Italian opera, staged a few days later, was enriched by ballet intermezzos of negroes, satyrs and shepherds. The queen-widow's stay in the Eternal City enriched the image of Marysieńka - the patroness of dance - with further tones. The reconstruction of this conterfekt still remains a challenge for the future.

The text comes from PASAŻ WIEDZY , where you can find more reliable texts on the history and culture of Old Poland

. Courtesy of the King John III Wilanów Palace Museum

The subtitles are those of the editors.