Antonio Cornazano

Antonio Cornazano was an Italian nobleman and a highly respected dancing master in the 15th century. He was a disciple of Domenico da Piacenza, who published the first European dance manual. Cornazano published his own influential work, Libro dell'arte del danzare ("Book of the Art of the Dance"), around 1460. His writings provide insights into the balli, which were elaborate dance works created by dancing masters, often incorporating elements of dance pantomime. These works were part of the flourishing courtly celebrations and spectacles of the Renaissance, a period when Italy became a center for dance innovation.1