Trilby Dance

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Trilby Dance

Maguire & Baucus 01/1897


Trilby Dance

A greceful acrobatic dance by the famous Leigh Sisters

Maguire & Baucus 04/1897

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1 Edison 23 (MU 145) Maguire & Baucus 23
2 William Heise Edna Leigh. Stella Leigh
 
MASKS AND FACES
Leigh Sisters Gave a Stratling Dance a la Trilby.
[...]
The first appearance on the Casino roof of the Leight sisters in a "Trilby dance" caused a murmur of excitement. Iza, of "The Clemenceau Case," who mande a sudden bound into fame a few years ago, was a model of propriety by comparison with them. The livings pictures were at least covered with tights, and the bronze statues, who were hauled into a police court, had a metallic coating over their nakedness. Other Trilbys have appeared in bare feet and danced on the stage, but none of them ventured to exhibit quite so much of their anatomy.
The first appearance of the Leights on the stage was very late, some time after "The Merry World" had closed, and the roof was crowded with the audience from the theatre. The red curtains were pulled aside, the orchestra struck up a lively air and the sisters entered. Alle that could be seen from the front was a pair of muscular legs and an enormous white umbrella, opened, and held toward the audience.
The legs were dancing. There was no possible doubt about their nakedness. The flesh moved, the muscle stood out, the veins were clearly marked, the ankles and knees were more prominent than they could have been under tights. The legs were visible to a point two or three inches above the knees—the umbrella hid all else.
The music quickened, the feet pirouetted from side to side and the toes came into plain sight. With the crash of the cymbals that marked the end of the dance a second pair of legs dropped to the floor behind the umbrella, as one of the sisters had been carrying the other up to that point. One could hear the frou-frou of lace as the girls passed their hands over their scanty clothes to smooth them down before the audience could see them; then the umbrella was thrown back ward and the sisters stepped forward.
Their skirts, delicate white, lace-trimmed creations, reached just about as far down as the umbrella had been held. Their bodices were quite low, but not sufficiently so to excite comment had it not been for the nakedness below.
As the girls danced it became evident that their fluffy lace undergarments were far shorter than their skirts, exposing their thighs half way to the hips.
They did the “split,” the “cartwheel” and many other acrobatic feats, concluding with a high kicking dance. The other Trilbys are dainty, shrinking, modest things by the side of the Leigh sisters.
The National Police Gazette, New York, 6 juillet 1895, p. 2.
3 <02/10/1895 50 ft 
4 États-Unis. West Orange. Black Maria.
 

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02/10/1895 États-Unis. Washington kinetoscope The Trilby Dance
 
New Attractions on the Graphophone and Kinetoscope
Within the past day or so the attractions on nearly all of the Graphophones and Kinetoscopes have been changed. Some of the new ones on the Kinetoscope are
THE CYCLONE DANCE, by Senorita Lola Yberre.
THE ACROBATIC DANCE, by Leigh Sisters from the Passing Show.
THE TRILBY DANCE, by the Leigh Sisters.
On the Graphophones.
"BY THE SAD SEA WAVES," by Vesta Tilly.
"HENRIETTE," as sung by Bessie Bonehill in Little Christopher.
Nickel in the slot starts them running.
Columbia Phonograph Co.,
919 Pa. Ave.
The Evening Star, Washington, mercredi 2 octobre 1895, p. 12.
03/11/1896 MexiqueMexico, Profesa nº 6 Kinetoscopio de proyección Danza de Trilby

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leigh sisters dessin
The Saint Paul Globe, dimanche 25 avril 1897, p. 19.

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