The Influence of Delsarte’s Work in the United States: Late 19th Century and Beyond

Abstract

This paper discusses the influence of François Delsarte on bodily motion, theater, and elocution in the United States from the late nineteenth century. It presents his main ideas and how they were developed and transformed in the country since 1870, becoming, in their last phase, which began in the 1880s, a theory that was applied to all aspects of life, independent from its European form. The contributions of Steele Mackaye, Genevieve Stebbins, Henrietta Hovey and others are mentioned.

Keywords

• François Delsarte
• Dance
• Theater
• American Delsartism
• Body