The first part of this manual, first published in 1725, discusses the performance of various steps including demi coupé, bourée, chassé, and pirouette. Through the use of text and tables, Rameau also provides discussion on an improved and simplified version of Feuillet notation, the eighteenth-century system of recording dances.
The second part of the text consists of notations for twelve duets choreographed by French dancer and choreographer, Guillaume-Louis Pecour. The text is entirely in French, with many examples in Feuillet notation.