Black and Tan, 1948

Black and white photograph of a woman, Françoise Sullivan, dancing barefoot in a dark room and wearing loose-fitting clothing over black tights. Her limbs are blurry with movement.

Françoise Sullivan, Black and Tan, 1948, performance, costume by Jean-Paul Mousseau.

Set to the music of jazz pianist Duke Ellington, this dance piece attempted to capture the expansive power of movement. Sullivan started by moving her feet close to the ground, tracing a figure eight, the movement spreading through her body. Her use of facial expression was innovative and contrasted strongly with classical dancers’ traditionally impassive features; when the movement reached her face, Sullivan stood still, facing the audience, tracing the figure eight with only her eyes.

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Black and Tan - Art Canada