A Marriage of Dance and Art

Images of dance can often be read as symbols of love and the expression of desire. This lecture examines themes of love, courtship and marriage in the National Gallery Collection and considers the role of art and dance in the courtly celebrations and rituals of the 15th and 16th centuries.

With practical demonstrations by dancers in historical costume, we consider how the movement codes and dance styles of the period influenced the way in which artists depicted human bodies in motion. This practical understanding of the dance of the period offers challenging and novel ways to interpret the painted scene.