A system of physical training and expressive movement developed in the 19th century emphasizing the connection between emotion, gesture, and bodily position.
Named after François Delsarte (1811-1871), a French musician and teacher who created a comprehensive method relating body movements to emotional expression. The system spread internationally during the Victorian era.
Before modern acting schools existed, Delsarte created a scientific 'rulebook' for how every body part should move to express specific emotions—it was like the first motion-capture system, but using strict Victorian choreography instead of technology.
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