Overview
The Lure of Perfection: Fashion and Ballett, 1780-1830 offers a unique look at how ballet influenced contemporary fashion and women's body image, and how street fashions in turn were reflected by the costumes worn by ballet dancers. Through years of research, the author has traced the interplay between fashion, social trends, and the development of dance. During the eighteenth century, women literally took up twice as much space as men; their billowing dresses ballooned out from their figures, sometimes a full fifty-five inches, to display costly jewellery and fine brocade work; similar costumes appeared on stage. But clothing also limited her movement; it literally disabled them, making the dances themselves little more than tableaux. Movement was further inhibited by high shoes and tight corsets; thus the image of the rigidly straight, long-lined dancer is as much a product of clothing as aesthetics. However, with changing times came new trends. An increased interest in natural movement and the common folk led to less-restrictive clothing. As viewers demanded more virtuosic dancers, women literally danced their way to freedom.
Full Product Details
Author: Judith Bennahum
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint: Routledge
Edition: annotated edition
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.20cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.580kg
ISBN: 9780415970372
ISBN 10: 0415970377
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 23 October 2004
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
Simply through scrupulous descriptions of what people wore, (Bennahum) brings social and theatrical milieus alive. -- The Village Voice
Simply through scrupulous descriptions of what people wore, (Bennahum) brings social and theatrical milieus alive. <br>. <br>-The Village Voice, 6/5/2005 <br>
"""Simply through scrupulous descriptions of what people wore, (Bennahum) brings social and theatrical milieus alive."" -- The Village Voice"
Simply through scrupulous descriptions of what people wore, (Bennahum) brings social and theatrical milieus alive. . -The Village Voice, 6/5/2005
Author Information
Judith Chazin-Bennahum is Chair of the Dept of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Mexico. She is a past president of the Society of Dance History Scholars, and has authored and edited several books on dance history. She began her career as a performing dancer, dancing in companies headed by Antony Tudor, Pearl Lang, and Alexandra Danilova, and was invited by George Balanchine to perform with the New York City Ballet on their first Russian tour.
