Catherine de Medici
The ballet was performed in 1573. Describing it as the most beautiful ballet ever made on earth, the court observer Brantome said that the 16 amateur female dancers danced their ballet so curiously designed, with so many turns, swerves, and sinuosities, interlacings and minglings, confrontations and withdrawals, that [it was surprising that] no lady ever failed to be at her appointed turn or place. The use of female dancers was a novelty, to become more prevalent during the reign of Louis XIV.