Traité de la danse

Desrat begins his work with a description of dances that were still in vogue at the turn of the century: Boston waltz, cake walk, Berlin, pas de patineurs, and Washington-Post (a two step). A history of ancient dance follows. The discussion begins with Greek and Roman origins, followed by a discussion of "modern dances," which Desrat describes as pavane, gavotte, branle, and the minuet. Much of Desrat's historical text is borrowed heavily from previously published sources including Élise Voirat's 1823 Essai sur la danse antique et moderne.