Cinderellas, ballerinas and the long life of gallantries

ABSTRACT The article discusses the formation of feminine identity associated with body exposure. 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 repertoire 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.