Lumière Brothers, Serpentine Dance, c.1899
In this dance, captured on film by the Lumière brothers and hand coloured, the dancer uses cloth and body extensions to accentuate her movement whilst concealing her actual body. The lengths of rippling silk and lighting add to the sensuality and excitement of the performance. There is some dispute about the dancer's identity – she is credited with being the American actress Loie Fuller (1862-1928) but she may be Papinta, The Flame Dancer, both pioneers of modern dance and theatrical effects.