Pygmalion
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Marie Sallé's ballet Pygmalion, first performed in London in 1734, was a significant work in her career. Sallé was an innovative French dancer and choreographer known for her expressive, dramatic performances. She was the first woman to choreograph the ballets in which she appeared, integrating music, costumes, and dance with their themes. For her role as Venus in Pygmalion, Sallé broke from tradition by discarding restrictive costumes for a Grecian-style muslin dress and unornamented hair, a revolutionary choice for the time. The ballet's theme is inspired by the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who fell in love with his own creation, an ivory statue of a woman named Galatea, which the goddess Venus brought to life.12
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Western danceVarieties of the ballet…miniature dance-drama of her own, Pygmalion (1734). In it she appeared in a flimsy muslin dress and loose, flowing hair rather than the heavy costumes and elaborate wigs usually worn by ballerinas. Thus lightened, the dancer was able to move with much greater freedom.
Read More…miniature dance-drama of her own, Pygmalion (1734). In it she appeared in a flimsy muslin dress and loose, flowing hair rather than the heavy costumes and elaborate wigs usually worn by ballerinas. Thus lightened, the dancer was able to move with much greater freedom.
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stagecraftCostume of the 18th and 19th centuriesIn Pygmalion, a ballet of her own composition, Marie Sallé danced in London in 1734 dressed only in a muslin robe like that of a Greek statue; she wore no panniers, petticoat, or bodice, and her hair was loose and without ornament. The French ballet master…
Read MoreIn Pygmalion, a ballet of her own composition, Marie Sallé danced in London in 1734 dressed only in a muslin robe like that of a Greek statue; she wore no panniers, petticoat, or bodice, and her hair was loose and without ornament. The French ballet master…
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