A dança da luz: da visualidade à visibilidade da dança serpentina e suas reverberações na cena contemporânea

Abstract

This study investigates the creation of the Serpentine Dance (1892) by the dancer Loïe Fuller, not from the perspective of choreography itself, but through the lens of the scenic visuality as constructed by the technical apparatuses of lighting and stage costumes. Her contributions intrinsically resonate in the legacy of the performing arts, influencing aesthetic and technical directions that are still evident today. The need for this research emerged from the lack of specific technical documentation regarding the development of these elements in Fuller’s work. To address this gap, the study is grounded in documentary research of bibliographic sources and works on Fuller, as well as newspaper reports and analysis of the patent for the dance. Particular attention was given to details that allowed for the cataloguing and correlation of the inspirations that led the artist to achieve the completeness of her creation. Furthermore, this work engages in a theoretical discussion on lighting and costumes as scenic languages, aiming to understand them as both structural and structuring components (Simões, 2008; 2013) of theatrical composition. Finally, the study analyzes a contemporary play, Abismo (2022), which drew direct inspiration from Fuller to explore the interaction between body, fabric, and light in the construction of a visuality that shifts between the real and the dreamlike.