Pierre Beauchamp

[1] Beauchamp was born at Versailles (Yvelines), into a family of French "dance masters" (maîtres de danse).

He débuted at the court of Louis XIV at age 12, in 1648, in the Ballet du dérèglement des passions.

He continued to choreograph and dance at the Court of Versailles after the death of Jean-Baptiste Lully in 1687; however, choreography and composition of music and ballets for the Jesuit Colleges became his primary occupation from 1697.

Writing some years after the actual events, Pierre Rameau credits Beauchamp with the codification of the five positions of the feet[3] in classical ballet, as well as a role in the development of the use of arms[4] (note though that, unlike the positions of the feet, the use of arms in baroque dance differs significantly from their use in ballet).

It was slightly modified by Pierre Rameau in 1725, but continued to be used to record dances for the stage and for domestic use throughout the eighteenth century.