Cinderellas, ballerinas and the long life of gallantries

Abstract

The article discusses the formation of feminine identity associated with body expo-sure. The sexualization of this issue has left a long lasting matrix behind – the aristocratic French etiquette of the 18th century. One of the social conservation strategies of this scenographic rep-ertoire may be found in the production of sculptures that represented aristocratic scenes, which became known as fêtes galantes. These objects are associated with a network of representations as wide as the classical ballet, films and animations present in adults’ and children’s imagery.