Dance at the National Theater, 1830-1903

This thesis brings to light important documents relating to dance and cultural history of Washington from 1840 to 1903. This period of dance in the nation's capital has never been researched in terms of professionally staged productions and the development of dance in America at a time when the country was beginning to come of age as an industrial power and a major world force. The major venue for theatrical productions in Washington during this time was the National Theater. International dancers were among the first to bring ballet to Washington. Spectacles were an important part of American Theater during the nineteenth century and they were often based on fairytales. Four spectacles that included considerable dance material were: The Black Crook (1868), The Ballet Girl (1898), The Silver Slipper (1902), and The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast (1903). These productions have been studied through analysis of programs, music scores, pictures and reviews. Particular attention has also been paid to other developments in dance during this period in Washington and America to understand how these spectacles were part of our country's dance and overall cultural history.