Freddie Mercury's screen-worn ballet leotard, from the 'I Want To Break Free' video, 1984

Freddie Mercury's screen-worn ballet leotard, from the 'I Want To Break Free' video, 1984, repeated in part in ‘The Great Pretender’ video, 1987

A full-length sleeveless and footless ballet leotard of nude coloured fine elastane, hand painted with black shaped patches simulating a piebald hide inspired by the faun costume of Nijinsky in the ballet L'après-midi d'un faune , unlabelled, worn by Freddie in the intricate ballet sequence of the ‘I Want To Break Free’ video, choreographed by Wayne Eagling and performed by Freddie with Eagling and other members of the Royal Ballet troupe; with two full-length, long-sleeved elastane catsuits, both with scooped necks and integral feet, one nude colour, the other black, both unlabelled, both probably worn for practise rather than stagewear; and two pairs of dance shoes, one pair white leather lace-ups, labelled inside ‘Pineapple Dance’ and size '8’, the other black leather pull-on ballet shoes with elasticated uppers, unlabelled, both pairs showing signs of wear

(qty 7)

An extract from the ballet sequence of the ‘I Want To Break Free’ video, 1984, was repeated in ‘The Great Pretender’ video, 1987, where it was preceded by a shot of Freddie in his pink suit with a life-size cut-out of himself wearing the faun leotard holding the pan pipes to his lips.

LITERATURE

Freddie Mercury, Peter Freestone with David Evans, Omnibus Press, 2009, pp.121-122

Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures, Welbeck, 2012, illus. p.99

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