Adorée Villany

Adorée Villany, born as Ada Villany in Rouen 1888, was French/Hungarian exotic dancer, choreographer and writer, best known for her deviant performances inspired mythical, historical and Oriental themes. She was self-taught and bold when she presented her daring "Dance of the Seven Veils" along with a reading of Oscar Wilde's "Salome" in Paris 1905. German director and film-pioneer Oskar Messter noticed her show and produced the short "Tanz der Salome" in 1906. The success was immediate and Adorée Villany toured Europe with her veil-dance spiced with artistic elements from Franz Stuck and Arnold Böcklin. In 1912 she published the book "Tanz-Reform und Pseudo-Moral : Kritisch-satyrische Gedanken aus meinem Bühnen - und Privatleben" (Dance reform and pseudo-morality: Critical-satyrical thoughts from my stage and private life). When the Great War broke out she moved north to Denmark, where she starred in "The Veil Dancer" (1915) directed by Cesare Rino Lupo. She received a residence permit in Sweden and toured the country for several years, making memorable performances at Oscarsteatern and August Strindbergs Intima Teatern in Stockholm. The death of Adorée Villany is as mythologized as her life as an artist. Reliable information states that she was seen alive in 1919.