The Ballet of the Nations for the 2018 Festival of Ideas
Dance, particularly ballet, is often referenced as a medium of art to which the concepts of grace and control are central. Impermanence Dance Theatre’s film adaptation of Vernon Lee’s 1915 pacifist satire The Ballet of the Nations will explore the aestheticization of war and beauty, and the terrible corporeal reality of historical events.
The film begins its distribution at the beginning of nationwide commemorations observing the 1918 Armistice, and foregrounds pacifist and dissenting voices, at a time when these narratives are more than ever in peril of being ignored.
The film is part of a larger project and online exhibition, Theatres of War, curated by Dr Grace Brockington and Dr Claudia Tobin and hosted by British Art Studies (Paul Mellon Centre, London). It will explore the material culture and social networks of the London little theatres where the dance developed.
Join us for a screening of The Ballet of the Nations followed by a Q&A with Impermanence, and discussion with Dr Claudia Tobin (University of Cambridge) and Dr Grace Brockington (University of Bristol).
To book a free ticket, please head over to our page on Eventbrite or click the button below.