Throwback Thursday and Loie Fuller
Sometimes called a “magician of light”, Loie Fuller was once
the most famous dancer in the world. She
paved the way for many generations of modern dancers that followed, including
Isadora Duncan. She also founded two art
museums.
Loie Fuller was born in Chicago in 1862, but was “made in
France”, she said. She was about eight
years when the great Chicago fire devastated the city, but fortunately her home
was spared. She undoubtedly witnessed scenes of glowing orange fire and smoke that overtook most of the
area.
She began her stage career as a child actress in America,
and when she was nineteen she was discovered by William F. Cody – better known
as Buffalo Bill – and she began touring with his famous troupe. From there she bounced around doing many
things: performing as a singer, dancer,
comedienne, etc. In 1887 she performed
in Aladdin or The Wonderful Lamp. It was
advertised as having the “most spectacular lighting effects in the American
theater”. Loie Fuller played the role of
Aladdin.
She soon began her own experiments with light and fabric and
created the “Serpentine Dance” which she presented in 1892 in New York. Later that same year, she traveled to Europe
and performed in “Fire Dance” where she danced on glass illuminated from below.
Today, Loie Fuller is not a household name, but her
contributions to theatrical lighting are still being felt. She never received any formal training as a
choreographer, but by combining dance with innovative lighting design, she
changed the face of dance as well as theatrical lighting.
Loie Fuller died in Paris in 1928.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #45:
“Loie Fuller was a dancer and choreographer who experimented with
lights on yards of fabric.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“There
are uses to adversity, and they don't reveal themselves until tested. Whether
it's serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents
who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.”
-
Sonia
Sotomayor
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