The Serpentine Dance enjoyed enormous popularity in its day. As well as the very personal interpretations of Little Tich (a diminutive comedy star of the English music-hall of the period) and Fregoli, we see the dance again in the typical ambiance of the cinema of attractions, the fairground and the circus. Especially admirable is the interpretation of the Chiens Savants, trained dogs who featured in many films of the time. Dance was a very frequent subject for films of the primitive cinema. These examples show the influence which the choreography of Loïe exerted upon this genre. Particularly to be noted is the confrontation in the programme between the ballet style of Ballet Libella, which represents the past, and the more modern choreography which introduces, following the changing tastes of the time, veils and scarves. An homage to the revolution which Fuller effected at the heart of dance, bringing it into the modern era.

Massimo Piovesana