Sensuality & Nationalism in Romantic Ballet

Innovations that marked the romantic movement in 19th-century ballet and their continuing influence on classical dance are the subjects of this hour-shy documentary by Professor Claudia Jeschke (of the Department of Dance Studies at the University of Salzburg) and Robert Atwood (a ballet pedagogue at the Ailey School in New York). Sensuality & Nationalism in Romantic Ballet is essentially an illustrated lecture that combines narration, archival materials, and re-creations to argue that ballet's late-18th-century move from aristocratic courts to theaters—attended by the expanding bourgeoisie—necessarily reflected changing social, economic, and political realities in quite specific ways (Gluck's 1761 Don Juan is presented as one of the earliest instances of the transformation). Changes included a trend toward incorporating national dances, an increasing concentration on characters from the rural population and the middle class, and a new emphasis on extravagant emotion, often involving the supernatural. The period also witnessed an evolution in technique and the increased centrality of strong heroines that gave rise to the cult of the prima ballerina. The narrative presentation covers a bit more than half of the program, with the remainder devoted to full re-stagings of six particular dances, including the fandango and the tyrolienne. A useful bibliography is appended to the final credits. A solid choice for music history and dance collections, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)