The Rat de l’Opéra and the Social Imaginary of Labour: Dance in July Monarchy Popular Culture

Abstract

Abstract Mid-nineteenth-century literary and theatrical depictions of rats de l’Opéra (young girls training and performing with the Paris Opéra) emphasize their physical and material hardships, dubious morals, and shapeshifting abilities. Physiologies, tell-all histories of the Paris Opéra, and vaudeville livrets each underscore these qualities of the rat in their portrayals of her, yet they also emphasize her role as a labourer. Taken together, these representations of the rat connect ensemble dancers with the idea of labour in the social imaginary, crafting an image of the ensemble dancer as physical labourer, juxtaposed with the star dancer, considered to be an artist.