Loie Fuller (January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928) was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of techniques in both
modern dance and
theatrical lighting. She created the
serpentine dance, but upon finding that her talents were unappreciated in the United States, she moved to
Paris and received a warm reception there. She regularly performed at the
Folies Bergère, and began adapting and expanding her costume and lighting, so that they became the principal features of her performance. Fuller unsuccessfully applied for a
patent on the serpentine dance, to prevent imitators from copying her
choreography. This 1901 film, entitled
Loie Fuller, shows another dancer performing the dance.
Film credit: Segundo de Chomón