Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful session by Jennifer Toynbee-Holmes in The Arts Society at Firstsite (TASAF) Lecture series!

The Arts Society at Firstsite is an organisation about connecting people who have a passion for art.

TASAF is part of a global network of local societies, which bring people together through shared curiosity for the arts. You can learn more about it here. 

We offer a series of 10 talks* from accredited lecturers based around the UK. Lectures take place throughout the year from September to June on the third Tuesday of each month. 

Find out more about TASAF here.

Session Program 

The Art of Ballet (Lecture by Jennifer Toynbee-Holmes)

Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts in the 15th century and when Catherine Medici an Italian noblewoman married the French King Henry II in 1533, she brought Ballet to the French court.

A century later, King Louis XIV, a passionate dancer, popularised and standardised the art form and in 1661 he founded the Royal Academy of Dance, The popularity of ballet soared in Russia in the late 19th century when Russian choreographers and composers took it to new heights.

And in the early 20th century, Sergei Diaghilev went beyond the confines of classical ballet fusing together the latest in art, music and dance in spectacles that dazzled and astonished audiences around the world.

George Balanchine changed ballet even further when he created neo-classical ballet and he was the greatest innovator of the contemporary ‘plotless’ ballet.

Today, ballet is multi-faceted. Classical forms, traditional stories and contemporary innovations intertwine to produce the character of modern ballet.

In this lecture we’ll take an exciting and colourful look at ballet from its origins to modern day ballet bringing it alive with video clips and music as well as stills.

About the Lecturer

Jennifer Toynbee-Holmes is an experienced guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern and lectures at various art societies and institutions. She has a special interest in British art of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th century.

Having gained an MA in film and television practice, Jennifer had a long-standing career spanning fifteen years as a television producer/director making documentaries and factual programmes for the BBC including ‘Tomorrow’s World’, ITV and Channel 4.

She was also a visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths College and Birkbeck: University of London and a senior lecturer at Southampton Solent University in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Society.

Visit the Firstsite Café before or after TASAF Lecture Series session! 

Our cafés offer a wide selection of delicious snacks, cakes and light meals, along with hot and cold drinks which can be purchased to enjoy.

Find out more about our menus here 

*This price is the set fee paid by all members irrespective of the date they join the society.