Ballet in Britain After the French Revolution

In 1798, the Bishop of Durham rose to his feet in the House of Lords to denounce the pernicious influence of French ballet dancers. His eccentric attack, identifying ballet as dangerous force of political subversion, provoked an outpouring of public ridicule – and genuine alarm amid real government crackdowns on personal freedoms.

This talk will illustrate the radical changes to ballet costuming and dance subject matter that underpinned poor Durham’s upset, and explore ballet-going in Britain after the French Revolution.

Dr Caitlin Lehmann is a researcher and author specialising in ballet history and 18th-century studies. Her talk will illustrate the radical changes to ballet costuming and dance subject matter, and explore ballet-going in Britain after the French Revolution.