Loïe Fuller, the famous american dancer, has just invented a « radium dance » and M. and Mme Curie have seen it and approved it. The famous physists says that Miss Fuller make them look upon their own discovery in a new light. The name « Radium dance », as might be imagined, is not a fancifull one.

No actual salt of radium Is manipulated by Miss Fuller in the production of her new effects, though she does use a substance very nearly akin to radium. Certain fluorescent salts are extracted from the residue of pitchblende, whence the Curies obtained the mysterious matter discovered by them. It is, In fact, supposed that such salts derive their fluorescence from the Influence of radium. So much for the Justification of the name given to the new dance.

The spectacle itself Is weird and fantastic in the extreme. The few guests asked by Loie Fuller to witness the performance in her studio, for it is not yet given to the public, are marshaled at one end of the gallery, with all lights put out. Through a slit in the curtains opposite a green glow is seen. Suddenly an apparition comes into view. It is a vague form, only distinguished by hundreds of tiny glow worms which It seems to carry on its flowing raiment. The tissue of twinkling stars floats about, circles, sweeps along the floor, or Is wafted up until it assumes the shape of a great luminous vase. The dancer’s face is never seen, her form feeing vaguely outlined by the glowing lights. The apparition vanishes and is followed by another more weird still. Above a perfectly invisible head, which you only suppose to be there, shines a bluish halo. Below, clothing an unseen figure, is a long robe, which is merely a great patch of the same ghostly light. The apparition, slowly moving to a solemn rhythm, seems to invoke heaven, the halo being thrown backward when the h,ead is, as you conclude, uplifted. Finally, the robe of light sinks on to the floor, when you infer that the figure kneels. The second ghost vanishes, a third appears, a monster glowing moth, with shining antennae a foot long, eyes which are globes of light, and wings Bix feet high, glittering with numerous scrolls in all colors. The moth flutters lound and round the studio, then goes out of sight, but reappears almost instantly, accompanied by a smaller, glowing white butterfly, which beats its wings over the monster luminous insect’s head. Lamps being relighted, the visitors are brought back to reality out of ghostland, and, being given an opportunity of examining the dancer’s ‘<lres2£s. find tftnt they arf made at a particuliar kind of silk, completely Impregnated with fluorescent salts. In complete darkness only the portions of material thus rendered luminous are visible; hence the extraordinary ghostly effects. In the treatment of stuffs by fluorescent salts lies the originality of the invention.—Philadelphia North American.

Los Angeles Herald, Volume XXXI, Number 215, 1 May 1904