Dance Costume thumbnail 1
Dance Costume thumbnail 2
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This object consists of 4 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Dance Costume

mid 20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dress and headdress worn by a Natural Movement dancer in the Spinning Dance.

Natural Movement is a form of dance developed by Madge Atkinson (1885-1970), based on the natural movements of the human body. Atkinson was inspired by the wide interest in free dance in the early 20th century and her works were developed for both theatre and education.

The Spinning Dance was a dance for three performers, set to La Fileuse, a piano piece by Swiss composer Joachim Raff, which depicts a girl at her spinning wheel.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Dance Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Dance Costume
Materials and techniques
Cotton, paint and elastic
Brief description
Purple dress and headdress for a Natural Movement dancer in the Spinning Dance

Physical description
S.54:1-2020
Long cotton medieval-style green dress with long sleeves and circular skirt. There appears to be a press stud at the neck and the edges, hem, neck and cuffs are decorated with dyed and painted bands of grey-mauve with gold V shapes.

S.54:2-2020
Long purple belt painted with a gold pattern, made of wide ribbon on starched cheesecloth with one end cut as a V (note: it is not certain if this belt was worn with this dress).

S.54:3-2020
Fine white lawn kerchief worn on the head.

S.54:4-2020
Circlet of a double band of gold cord, with elasticated section for holding the kerchief in place.


Dimensions
  • Length of dress shoulder to hem length: 136cm
  • Waist of dress circumference: 72cm
  • Length of bodice length: 43cm
  • Length of sleeve shoulder to cuff length: 54cm
  • Length of belt length: 224cm
  • Width of belt width: 5cm
  • Length of kerchief length: 65cm
  • Width of kerchief width: 44.5cm
  • Circumference of circlet circumference: 53.5cm
Credit line
Given by Francine Watson Coleman on behalf of the Natural Movement organisation
Object history
Acquired as a part of the Natural Movement Collection.
Summary
Dress and headdress worn by a Natural Movement dancer in the Spinning Dance.

Natural Movement is a form of dance developed by Madge Atkinson (1885-1970), based on the natural movements of the human body. Atkinson was inspired by the wide interest in free dance in the early 20th century and her works were developed for both theatre and education.

The Spinning Dance was a dance for three performers, set to La Fileuse, a piano piece by Swiss composer Joachim Raff, which depicts a girl at her spinning wheel.
Collection
Accession number
S.54:1 to 4-2020

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Record createdFebruary 4, 2020
Record URL
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