Publisher's Synopsis
A new volume on the rise and social impact of the celebrity dancer in late-Georgian London, as viewed through portraits, caricatures and eyewitness descriptions of the time. If dance on the London stage can be said to have a 'golden age', it might be thought to be the years between 1760 and 1830. The changes included the arrival on London stage of 'ballet d'action', and the appearance of Vestris and Noverre. Dance in the theatre and the opera house continued to be essential to the financial success of any season, and it was a ubiquitous element in the London theatrical season both in dramatic works and as entr'acte pieces. These years also saw important changes that affected theatrical dance and thus public perceptions of celebrity dancers. Despite this, and in comparison with other performers, far fewer portraits of dancers were produced. This can be explained in part by a visual culture that privileged a particularly national view of
