Shoe
late 19th century (made)
The shoe was worn by the great Romantic Ballerina Marie Taglioni at a private function in St Petersburg in 1842 when she danced before the Empress. According to the inscription, Taglioni performed two Spanish dances, a Herta and a Cachucha, dances more associated with her rival Fanny Elssler.
The slipper was given to Lady Selina Bidwell, who may have been one of Taglioni's pupils when she was teaching dance in London in the 1870s.
The shoe formed part of the London Archives of the Dance. The Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection was stored with the dance historian Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.
Historical significance: Ballet shoes from the mid 19th century are rare and this, associated as it is with Taglioni and the development of pointe work, is an important artefact in the history of ballet shoe construction. The shoe is unblocked and the darning under the toe and up the sides would have been the only extra support for pointe work at this period.
The slipper was given to Lady Selina Bidwell, who may have been one of Taglioni's pupils when she was teaching dance in London in the 1870s.
The shoe formed part of the London Archives of the Dance. The Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection was stored with the dance historian Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.
Historical significance: Ballet shoes from the mid 19th century are rare and this, associated as it is with Taglioni and the development of pointe work, is an important artefact in the history of ballet shoe construction. The shoe is unblocked and the darning under the toe and up the sides would have been the only extra support for pointe work at this period.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Satin with silk trim and leather and cotton lining and leather sole. |
| Brief description | Ballet shoe worn by Marie Taglioni. Black satin edged white silk and lined in white kid and white cotton. Inscribed on sole. |
| Physical description | Black satin ballet shoe, the black satin crossed on the upper vamp with narrow black ribbon; the upper edge bound in white silk. The shoe is lined with white kid and white cotton. The sole is leather. The shoe is unblocked, in modern terms, the only stiffening provided by overdarning beneath the toes and 1.5cm up the side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | "Souvenir à / Lady Selina Bidwell / de Marie Taglioni / London octobre 1877 St Petersbourg / 1er mars 1842. Souliers avec / lesquels j'ai danse ma soirée / d'adieu chez L'Imperatrice au / Palais d'Anichkoff, dans un pas / espagnol de Herta et la Cachucha / M Taglioni" (On sole; Handwriting; Pen and ink; Taglioni, Marie) |
| Credit line | Cyril Beaumont Bequest |
| Object history | The slipper was given to Lady Selina Bidwell, who may have been one of Taglioni's pupils when she was teaching dance in London in the 1870s. The shoe formed part of the London Archives of the Dance. The Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection was stored with the dance historian Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest. |
| Summary | The shoe was worn by the great Romantic Ballerina Marie Taglioni at a private function in St Petersburg in 1842 when she danced before the Empress. According to the inscription, Taglioni performed two Spanish dances, a Herta and a Cachucha, dances more associated with her rival Fanny Elssler. The slipper was given to Lady Selina Bidwell, who may have been one of Taglioni's pupils when she was teaching dance in London in the 1870s. The shoe formed part of the London Archives of the Dance. The Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection was stored with the dance historian Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest. Historical significance: Ballet shoes from the mid 19th century are rare and this, associated as it is with Taglioni and the development of pointe work, is an important artefact in the history of ballet shoe construction. The shoe is unblocked and the darning under the toe and up the sides would have been the only extra support for pointe work at this period. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2746-1986 |
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| Record created | February 7, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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