Snapchat AR brings Baroque dance to Versailles gardens

The Château de Versailles has partnered with Snapchat to launch 'Dansez Versailles', an augmented reality experience that lets users virtually dance in the palace gardens as 17th-century courtiers. The experience is part of the official Versailles app and Snapchat's AR offerings. Users can dress in period costumes and project an avatar into four locations designed by André Le Nôtre: the Latona fountain (for the Ballet royal de la nuit, where the 14-year-old Louis XIV played Apollo), the orangerie (for a masked ball), the Bosquet du Théâtre d'Eau (for rural-inspired dances), and the Bosquet de la Salle de Bal (for comédie-ballet). Choreography was developed with expert Pierre-François Dollé. The collaboration highlights the centrality of dance at Louis XIV's court, where he founded the Académie Royale de Danse, and uses technology to recreate that experience.