This projects aims to establish a comparison between the public dance practices of the Restoration Monarchies of Prussia, Austria, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, France and Great Britain between 1815 and 1830. By comparing the public dance events staged by the freshly instigated royal households, the proposed research seeks to provide a better understanding of the political meaning of these events and of their artistic legacy. On the one hand, Restoration Monarchies are seldom considered as cultural power brokers that influenced markedly on the course of European theatre history in general and of dance history (ballet) more in particular. On the other, it is also known that several members of the royal households occupying the thrones of Restoration monarchies were talented dancers themselves, who, whenever public celebration allowed for it, appeared as dancers themselves in elaborate public dance display. In this project a specific subgroup of observers – international diplomats will receive special attention