Early ballet dancer Pierre Beauchamps (1636-1705) was the ballet tutor of King Louis XIV of France and was regarded among the finest dancers of his time. He was the first to define the five basic positions of ballet.

Early ballet dancer and choreographer Pierre Beauchamps made significant contributions to the art form of ballet as it evolved into modern times. The art of ballet, which originated in Italy during the 1400s, had migrated to France through the effort of Queen Catherine de Medici in the 1500s but remained nebulous as an art form for another hundred years. It was not until the arrival of Beauchamps and the Academie Royale de Danse in France, at the behest of Louis XIV, that the dance became a codified discipline. Beauchamps was considered to be among the finest dancers, and it was during his lifetime that ballet was transformed from a popular...