Danse serpentine (Annabelle)

Plot

In this groundbreaking early film, Broadway dancer Annabelle Moore performs her famous serpentine dance on a simple, unadorned stage. Clad in a long, diaphanous skirt that she holds extended with her arms, Annabelle creates mesmerizing patterns as the flowing fabric swirls and billows around her. She moves gracefully from side to side, with the emphasis clearly on the dramatic movement of the cloth rather than her body itself. The dance creates hypnotic visual effects as the skirt forms various shapes and patterns, showcasing the new medium's ability to capture motion in ways previously impossible to document. This performance represents one of the earliest examples of dance captured on film, preserving a popular entertainment form of the era for future generations.

Historical Background

1895 was a pivotal year in cinema history, marking the birth of commercial motion pictures. The Edison Manufacturing Company and the Lumière brothers in France were simultaneously developing and commercializing film technology. This period saw the transition from scientific curiosity to entertainment medium. The United States was in the midst of the Gilded Age, with rapid industrialization and technological innovation transforming society. Vaudeville and burlesque theaters were at their peak popularity, and Edison saw film as a way to capture and reproduce these performances. The serpentine dance was particularly popular in stage shows, representing the Art Nouveau movement's fascination with fluid, organic forms. This film was created before the development of projection technology, when films could only be viewed individually on Kinetoscope machines. The year also saw the first film screenings for paying audiences and the beginning of the film industry as we know it today.

Making Of

The filming took place in Edison's innovative Black Maria studio, a tar-paper-covered building designed specifically for movie production. The studio featured a unique retractable roof that could be opened to allow maximum sunlight to illuminate the performers, as electric lighting was not yet suitable for filming. William Heise, Edison's principal cameraman, operated the hand-cranked Kinetograph camera, carefully timing the cranking to maintain consistent speed. Annabelle Moore had to perform her entire dance in one continuous take, as editing technology did not yet exist. The hand-coloring process was particularly laborious - artists would carefully apply color to each individual frame using tiny brushes, often working on an assembly line basis. The film was shot on celluloid film stock, a relatively new and expensive medium at the time. Edison's team experimented with various camera angles and distances to best capture the flowing movement of the fabric.

Visual Style

The cinematography was revolutionary for its time, utilizing the fixed camera position typical of early Edison productions. The camera was positioned at approximately eye level to best capture the full figure of the dancer and the movement of her costume. The use of natural sunlight from the Black Maria's open roof created bright, clear images that showcased the translucent quality of the fabric. The camera's ability to capture the rapid, flowing movement of the skirt demonstrated the new technology's potential for preserving dynamic performances. The framing was carefully composed to show Annabelle's entire body while emphasizing the dramatic patterns created by the flowing fabric. The hand-tinted versions added another layer of visual appeal, with colors carefully applied to enhance the ethereal quality of the dance.

Innovations

This film represents several important technical achievements for early cinema. The successful capture of rapid, flowing movement demonstrated the Kinetograph camera's ability to preserve complex motion. The hand-tinting process, while labor-intensive, was an early attempt to bring color to motion pictures, predating proper color film by decades. The filming in the Black Maria studio showcased the advantages of a dedicated production facility with controlled lighting. The film also demonstrated the commercial viability of recording and distributing popular performances. The preservation of dance movements on film was groundbreaking, allowing for the study and enjoyment of performance art in ways previously impossible.

Music

Originally silent, as all films of this period were. When exhibited in Kinetoscope parlors, musical accompaniment was typically provided by live musicians in the viewing area. The music would have been popular songs or classical pieces of the era, chosen to complement the flowing, graceful movements of the dance. Modern restorations and presentations often feature period-appropriate music, typically waltzes or other flowing compositions that match the rhythm of Annabelle's movements. Some contemporary presentations use original 1890s sheet music to maintain historical authenticity.

Memorable Scenes

• The entire film consists of one continuous scene featuring Annabelle Moore's mesmerizing serpentine dance, with her flowing skirt creating hypnotic patterns as she moves gracefully across the stage, the fabric billowing and transforming in ways that seemed magical to 1890s audiences

What Critics Said

Contemporary reception was overwhelmingly positive, with newspapers and magazines marveling at the lifelike reproduction of movement. The New York Times and other publications described the films as 'miraculous' and 'beyond belief.' Critics particularly praised the fidelity of motion capture and the beauty of the hand-colored versions. Modern film historians recognize this work as a significant early example of dance on film and an important step in the development of cinema as an art form. The Library of Congress and film preservationists consider it a historically significant work that demonstrates early cinema's technical and artistic capabilities.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences of the 1890s were fascinated by these films, with Kinetoscope parlors often having long lines of people waiting to view Annabelle's dance. The novelty of seeing moving images was itself a draw, but the beauty of the performance and the mesmerizing movement of the fabric made these films particularly popular. Many viewers returned multiple times to watch the same film, something that was unusual for the period. The hand-tinted versions were especially sought after, commanding higher viewing fees. The films were so popular that Edison produced multiple versions to meet demand. Contemporary accounts describe audiences as being 'spellbound' and 'enchanted' by the performance.

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