This paper aims to examine the dance aesthetic implications of female travesty dancers during the 19th-century Romantic ballet period. To this end, it focuses on the role of female travesty dancers and the effects of their portrayal in the ballet Copp...
This paper aims to examine the dance aesthetic implications of female travesty dancers during the 19th-century Romantic ballet period. To this end, it focuses on the role of female travesty dancers and the effects of their portrayal in the ballet Coppélia, which premiered at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1870. Ballet is generally recognized as an art form symbolized by female dancers, which was formed in the 19th century Romantic ballet period as female dancers embodied the ideal image of men. However, this phenomenon has been consistently criticized for reinforcing the passivity and sexual objectification of women in ballet.
But was 19th-century Romantic ballet solely the subject of criticism? This paper focuses on female travesty dancers in 19th-century romantic ballet. In 19th-century romantic ballet, gender-bending performances were common, and female travesty dancers were proof of this. These dancers, who performed male roles, created meanings that went beyond simple cross-dressing in ballet.
Just as romantic ballet has been evaluated from the perspective of the sexual objectification of female dancers, female travesty dancers have also been interpreted within a sociological context that emphasizes the sexual objectification of women by men who visually indulge in the bodies of women dressed as men. However, this paper differs from existing critical perspectives by analyzing the aesthetic effects that the male roles and movements performed by female travesty dancers had on the choreographic form of ballet and the character composition within works.
Chapter 1 lays the theoretical foundation for this study by examining the historical context of the phenomenon of travesty in ballet. It reviews the existence of travesty dancers and the ways in which they were realized in each historical period, from 17th-century court ballet to 18th-century ballet.
Chapter 2 explains the process by which female dancers came to occupy the center of the stage as ballet established itself as a theater-centered art form in the early 19th century, and examines the social background behind the increase in female travesty dancers during this period. It also examines specific works featuring female travesty dancers and considers the choreographic characteristics and movement expression methods evident in these works.
Furthermore, by examining the types of male characters they played through ballet scripts, this chapter examines how they created male protagonist characters that differed from those played by male dancers. Based on this, Chapter 3 compares and analyzes Coppélia in the Paris Opera Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet versions to identify the specific characteristics of the male protagonists played by female travesty dancers.
This analysis confirms that female travesti dancers achieve gender-neutral choreography that transcends gender boundaries, diversify the personality types of male protagonists, and emphasize the agency of female protagonists.
The dance aesthetic effects revealed through this analysis suggest broad possibilities for flexible gender concepts in ballet direction and casting strategies, providing important historical implications for contemporary ballet's approach to “reinterpreting classics.” Furthermore, it goes beyond existing interpretations focused on the objectification of women, revealing that gender equality elements existed in romantic ballet, particularly in terms of gender roles, the aesthetics of movement, and the expression of characters. This not only provides an opportunity to reconsider existing critical perspectives on female travesty but also offers a new perspective on romantic ballet.