Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, Philadelphia, like the rest of the United States, was forging a distinct cultural profile. Philadelphians increasingly scrutinized the human body, its form, meaning, and expressivity. On Thursday, Jan. 23, dance historian Lynn Brooks will join LancasterHistory to discuss the intricate braiding of political, scientific, and danced representations of the body, with focus on blackface minstrelsy and ballet in antebellum Philadelphia. Lynn Matluck Brooks founded the dance program at Franklin & Marshall College in 1984. A Certified Movement Analyst and dance historian, she has authored several books and many articles on the history of dance in Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Brookss research on dance as woven into the social, political, and intellectual contexts of its time has been funded by grants from the Fulbright/Hays Program, National Endowment for the Humanities, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Brooks has edited Dance Research Journal and Dance Chronicle and writes and edits for Philadelphias thinkingdance.net. About the Event The Regional History Colloquium is a series of lectures and presentations hosted by LancasterHistory throughout the year. Presenters at the colloquium are historians and scholars who are in the midst of a work-in-progress or who have recently completed a publication. Topics focus on historical issues relating to southeastern Pennsylvania and its wider borders. Tickets The event Science, Stage, and Spectacle in Antebellum Philadelphia will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, in Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave. in Lancaster, Pa. A speakers reception takes place at 4 p.m., followed by the main presentation at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Due to the popularity of the Regional History Colloquium series, advance registration is required to guarantee a seat at the presentation. Visit www.lancasterhistory.org/lectures to register online or call 717-392-4633. Questions and accessibility requests may be directed to info@lancasterhistory.org or 717-392-4633.