Dance of Light

Loïe Fuller (1862-1928) was an American-born dancer who became a popular entertainer in late 19th-century Paris where she starred regularly in the Folies Bergère. A pioneering choreographer, her modernistic movements paved the way for the likes of Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis. Fuller experimented with the effect of light on her silk ensembles and held various patents for stage lighting and dress design. Today, she may be best remembered for her Serpentine Dance. Captured on film in 1896 by the Lumière Brothers, this short clip illustrates how lovely the dance was (unfortunately, the dancer on screen is not Fuller). Filmed in black and white, each frame was later hand tinted. Beautiful.

Loïe Fuller  by Frederick Glasier (1902)