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The 18th century saw the development of dance to tell a story.
In 1717 the English Ballet Master
John Weaver staged The Loves of Mars and Venus at Drury
Lane theatre in London. The narrative was told in formal mime
gestures interspersed with dance which carried the emotion. Audiences
however were more interested in the star performers than the quality
of the dance, in particular the father and son stars, Gaeton and
Auguste Vestris.
Restrictions of Costume
Most women dancers wore a variation on fashionable dress, so
their movements were restricted by high-heeled shoes,
paniers and long skirts. Heroic male characters in dance and theatre wore
a
tonnelet, which looked rather like a ballerina’s tutu. This gave them
an imposing presence on stage. The size of the costumes meant
that men and women had to dance alongside one another rather than
facing each other. Male dancers in comedy roles did not wear the
tonnelet and because men’s bodies were less restricted by their
costume they could perform more spectacular movements and were
the favourites with audiences.
In 1760 Jean Georges Noverre published Letters on Dancing.
In these he called for the unity of dance, music and design and
the elimination of virtuoso dances for their own sake. He also
called for the abolition of the restrictive tonnelet and paniers.
Popular dancers in 18th century London
In London dance formed part of evening-long entertainments,
which might include a tragedy or comedy, solo or group dances,
songs, a short ballet, and a farce or pantomime. Among the best
known dancers of the time were Hester
Booth and Nancy
Dawson.
The ballet depicted above is Jason and Medea, based
on the Greek tragedy of Medea, who murders her children
in revenge when her husband, Jason, falls in love with another
woman. The mime looks very exaggerated and the costumes very formal,
but this was the style expected by contemporary audiences. The
male dancer in the print is Gaëtan Vestris.
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Introduction
18th Century Satire
