This is one of several books written by Italian dancer, choreographer, and writer Blasis (1803-1878). It covers the history and theory of dance, pantomime, the composition of ballets, and contains a section devoted to social dances entitled "private dancing." Although much of the discussion on technique is identical to Blasis' earlier treatise, Traité élémentaire théorique et pratique de l'art de la danse (1820), the manual is a comprehensive survey of ballet during the early nineteenth-century.