In these few enigmatic shots, Lila Nicolska, a model whose sinuous silhouette has been immortalised on the iconic blind façade of the Folies Bergère, performs, right down to her fingertips, a choreographic number, inspired by Art Nouveau, at the peak of its popularity at the time. The nude, sculptural figure moves as if liberated from its bas-relief form, repeating geometric motifs with an uncanny flexibility. The notation of “M. Nalpas” found on the negative leader, next to the inscription “Danse Nicolska”, leads us to surmise this sparkling yet minimalist rendition was likely a test for a series of films akin to La Revue des revues (1927). The restoration is based on the nitrate negative, housed in the collection of the Cinémathèque française. The reproduction of the combined effect of pink tinting with blue toning is an interpretation of markings found on the leader. The print of a film from the same period, bearing the same codes of combined tinting and toning, served as a model.

Mehdi Taibi