Hi! My name is Aileen Valerio, and I am a Collection’s Intern here at the Wenham Museum. This fall I will begin my final semester as a master’s student at The University of Rhode Island. My undergraduate degree, also from The University of Rhode Island, is in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design. My master’s degree specialization is in Historic Fashion and Textiles, Textile Conservation, and Cultural Analysis. With a background in fashion history and conservation, browsing Wenham’s rich textile collection was quite exciting. When I was given the opportunity to develop my own mini exhibition, I knew I had to take it!  

The exhibition space was quite small (22” x 19” x 21”), so I knew I had to be smart about usage of space. I wanted to incorporate items from the textile collection, but an adult or child’s garment would not fit. The racks of shoes in the storage room immediately piqued my interest, specifically a pair of 1940s parti-colored men’s dancing shoes. These shoes were eye catching, split evenly down the middle with taupe suede fabric and a pale green faux crocodile skin. Another feature is their diagonal lace up, not typical of 1940s men’s shoes. More interestingly is the pair’s barren and mysterious accession paperwork. The only information in the paperwork claims that these were 1940s men’s dancing shoes believed to be worn with a zoot suit. Who believed this is unclear, as there is no donor information. I knew I had to try to find out more information and attempt to substantiate this. To read more about the context of the zoot suit and the significance of this claim click here.  

Object #1, 1940s men’s dancing shoes; The Wenham Museum, 1986.05.001AB

The discussion of the reciprocal relationship between fashion and music has always been interesting to me. Fashion and music reflect the spirit of the times, or the zeitgeist. Music and fashion are a highly coveted cultural capital- to be “fashionable” and in the music in-group can boost one’s self esteem and help create community. As a result, music impacts fashion and fashion impacts music. Dance is an equally key component of this relationship. Dance and fashion are even more connected due to their close relation to the body. Both utilize the body to convey emotions and feelings; both mix aesthetic and utility; and both can reflect heritage.  

The goal of this exhibition is to display the relationship between fashion and dance by incorporating the full collection – not just textiles. I wanted to make sure the exhibition matched Wenham’s mission of serving local families and the youth. Object #1 is a pair of 19th century pink satin ballroom slippers, object #2 is the pair of 1940s men’s dancing shoes, object #3 is a moving shadow box from the 19th century depicting a ballet dancer, object #4 is a figurine from Málaga demonstrating a Flamenco dancer, and object #5 is a Ballet Russes Paper Doll book.  

Object #1, Ballroom slippers; The Wenham Museum; 5577Fab

Object #3, Shadow box with ballerina; The Wenham Museum, D2546

Object #4, Flamenco Dancer; The Wenham Museum; D3399

Object #5 plate 4, The Ballet Russes Paper Dolls; The Wenham Museum, 2007.09.126

Object #5 plate 5, The Ballet Russes Paper Dolls; The Wenham Museum, 2007.09.126

There are many instances that demonstrate the relationship between fashion and dance. For example, hip-hop’s origins in breakdancing and streetwear or country line dancing’s “cowboy” attire. More recently, the trend “ballet core” built off the continuing prevalence of athleisure. It consisted of casually worn ballet wear (ballet skirts, body suits, ballet flats, ribbons, leg warmers, etc.). Object #1 displays a similar trend from almost 200 years ago. Before the French Revolution, ballet dancers wore heeled shoes. After the revolution, ballet shoes transitioned to the ballet flats we know today. Object #1 looks like a pair of traditional ballet slippers; however, they are ballroom slippers. Worn for social ballroom dancing, they draw inspiration from ballet flats. The narrowness of these shoes was in style for the time and the ribbons ties helped keep them on the wearer’s feet. Further, object #3 was created during the Romantic Ballet Movement, which experienced a boom in the 1830s and 1840s. The ballet dancers, such as the dancer in the shadow box, utilized their fashion to reflect societal shifts during and after the Industrial Revolution. They wore bell shaped dresses that embodied femininity and escapism.  

“Ballet Core” from Goat.com

Anyone familiar with 20th century fashion history understands the significance of Serge Diaghilev’s The Ballet Russes; which revolutionized fashion, art, theater, and design. It popularized ballet as a source of fashion inspiration for designers. Most notably Paul Poiret, who created designs that catered to a fantasy world desired by western women. The Ballet Russes contributed to the prevalence of exoticism and orientalism in early 20th century fashion. Bold colors, strong eye makeup, turbans, and harem pants were popularized. Object #5 demonstrates this through costuming. The couple on plate 4, from the Ballet Schéhérazade, wear variations of harem pants and turbans. While the woman on the plate 5, from the ballet Narcisse, wears bright, sumptuous fabrics in a silhouette reminiscent of ancient Greece.  

Costume for The Chinese Conjurer in Massine’s ballet ‘Parade’, designed by Pablo Picasso, 1917 from The Victoria and Albert Museum

The Chinese Conjurer in Parade, Costume Designed by Pablo Picasso, 1919; The Wenham Museum, 2007.09.126

Jazz also influenced fashion, notably through the zoot suit. As discussed above, object #2 is believed to be worn with a zoot suit. For more information about the history of the zoot suit, click here. It is characterized by wide-legged pegged trousers with an extremely high waist and a long coat with wide shoulders and lapels. The most iconic feature is its excess fabric, which looked great while dancing the Lindy Hop. For immigrant communities and minorities across America the zoot suit served as a symbol of resistance to the powers at be. However, during WWII fabric rationing made the zoot suit’s excess fabric a symbol of delinquency and anti-patriotism. This led to racially charged violence and riots.  

Object #4 was labeled as a Flamenco dancer, and although this is true, she is not wearing the heeled shoes typical of Flamenco dancing. The heeled shoes have nails on the toe and heel for rhythmic clicking. Instead, she is wearing espadrilles with a canvas body, rope sole, and ribbons that lace up the ankles. Espadrilles are typically worn for the folk dance of Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain. However, they are also worn for Las Malagueñas, the traditional dance of Málaga, Spain. Like ballet shoes, espadrilles provide comfort and flexibility. Object #4 is dressed authentically for Las Malagueñas in a ruffled skirt, a blouse with ribbon trimmed sleeves and a shawl collar, a flower on one side of her hair, a black apron, and espadrilles with red, green, yellow, and black ribbon ties. Her attire is practical for dancing and serves as an emblem of heritage and pride.  

Women dancing Las Malagueñas , from Flamencomalaga.com

These objects illustrate that what we wear when dancing serves many purposes, both physical and emotional. The influence that dance wear has over popular fashion is clear. Our clothes are important tools of communication, and as discussed above, there are many ways that dance wear communicate identity and functionality. It is an inspiration source for temporal style but is also a long-standing symbol of resistance and heritage.