Adoree Villany Pain Dance
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Shocking Dance: “Phryné Moderne Devant l’Aréopage,” 1913

Phryné Moderne Devant l’Aréopage (Modern Phryne Before the Areopagus) Shocking Dance: About the Book This book (published ca. 1913) is a curated collection of press coverage surrounding Adorée Villany’s controversial nude dance performances in Munich and Paris between 1911 and 1913. Framed by Villany’s declaration—“My unveiled form lays my soul bare”—the volume takes its title…

Adorée Villany and Scandalous Naked Dances
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Adorée Villany and Scandalous Naked Dances

Revised April 22, 2025. Adorée  Villany: Naked Enigma Adopting the Dance of the Seven Veils Adorée Villany tested the European limits on how much skin a dancer could show on stage during the early 20th century. She also pushed the boundaries of early modern dance choreography. Most of all, she was an enigma. Adorée (or…

Salome Movie: Seductive Silent Film Goddesses Vamp to the Hilt
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Salome Movie: Seductive Silent Film Goddesses Vamp to the Hilt

As the motion picture industry took off, Salomania stormed the silver screen—Salome movies shocked, scandalized, and mesmerized people around the globe. It is hard to overstate how influential the Salome story was in silent film. The British Film Institute lists 21 films containing “Salome” in the title for films made before 1930, but this is…

Salome dance: Maud Allan with the head of John the Baptist
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Salome Dance: Scandalous But High-Minded

In early 20th-century performance, art dance emphasized expressive movement, innovation, and aesthetic depth, as seen in modern dance and ballet. Erotic dance focused on sensual display and physical allure, often for popular entertainment. Art dance sought cultural legitimacy; erotic dance catered to titillation, though the boundaries often were blurred, especially when it came to Salome…