How fantastically modern is this?

Nothing is as inspiring as having returned from a ball. A discussion there on the possibility of more improvised dancing compared to the formal quadrille and earlier country dances (Contredanses) led to a lady sending me these two images of the Dancer Annette Köbler, painted byBartholomeus Ziesenis in 1812, from the Rijksmuseum.nl

http://pinterest.com/pin/223068987765548636/

http://pinterest.com/pin/223068987765548620/

The paintings reminded me very much of a sketch I've once seen by Gottfried Schadow, of the dancers Maria and Salvatore Vigano, a bit of hunting in one of my books and a quick Wikimedia-Search, here we have Maria Vigano:

How modern, compared to the social dance, it's dance meant as a performance, to look at, to admire, not necessarily to participate.