Revealing the Subconscious

Abstract

A “dream ballet” uses ballet technique as its stylistic language, although it might incorporate other choreographic styles. Movement is its primary medium of expression, as opposed to dialogue or song. The dream ballet focuses on the subconscious feelings and motivations of a main character. Dance often serves the function of lifting the audience outside of the main film narrative into another realm. But the dream ballet does this while also facilitating the development of a character who plays an important part in the main story. An American in Paris (1951), Oklahoma! (1955), and La La Land (2016) all contain dance sequences that serve as useful case studies to examine the genre of the “dream ballet.” This lays the groundwork for in-depth analysis of the three dream ballets with a broader discussion of dance in early Hollywood musicals.