The Politics of Petticoats: Ballet in Britain after the French Revolution with Dr Caitlin Lehmann

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 eighteenth-century studies, with interests including Romanticism and the nineteenth century. Her work ranges from specialist academic scholarship to journalism for the dance industry. Her doctoral thesis (University of Melbourne) was titled: 'Fashionable Society, Ballet and the King’s Theatre, 1770-1800'.

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the presentation, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This event is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our house museum, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

This event is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Image: Installation View of The Johnston Collection, 2014. Photo: Adam Luttick.