Guilty Conscience
Famous ballerinas, such as Marie Taglioni and Fanny Elssler, are difficult
to place in this lose-lose situation. They seem to straddle middle-class
respectability (no pun intended), with one foot in the base world
of carnal physicality and
the other the spirit world of incorporeal
fantasy. The pointe shoe, which permitted the hovering
techniques that fueled the illusion of the
latter, simultaneously spotlighted the body
parts that aroused desire for
the former. The figure of the dancer as flesh and body backstage was effaced
and purged by the ethereal dancer on stage. In this way, middle-class men
could rationalize their exploitation of these women while appeasing their
guilty conscience. Ballerinas
seemingly underwent a baptism with each performance, her soiled character
purified as soon as she glided onto the stage, lighter
than air, no longer a creature of this world.