Danza Sepentina 1891

LOIE FULLER (1862-1923)

This Video is an exerpt of Fuller's influencial work in the late 19th century. Accompanied by the original score composed for this live performance, I found this edit to be quite captivating...

By her teens she was choreographing and performing in burlesque, vaudeville, and circus shows. Like Isadora Duncan, Fuller embraced the ideas of free dance and improvisation. Her technique of combining choreography with flowing silk costumes illuminated by colorful lighting sets Fuller apart from other modern dance pioneers. She transferred her lighting techniques to film, and hand colored each frame in multi-color. Her most famous work, the “Serpentine Dance” (1891) brought her acclaim, and she was enthusiastically received in Europe, particularly Paris. She was in fact the first American modern dancer to perform in Europe, and paved the way for Isadora Duncan. Her efforts in Europe are significant to dance history, as at the time Ballet reigned supreme and modern dance was considered a fad at best and barbaric at worst. Fuller is largely responsible for influencing Europeans to accept modern dance as a serious art form. Prominent European artists and scientists were impressed with Fuller’s lighting techniques and that she had patented her designs and compounds used to create the colors. She eventually became fatally ill from the toxic chemicals she used in her stage effects.