Stacia Napierkowska (1886-1945) was one of the most successful of the many dancers who appeared onstage, in Paris and internationally, as Hindu priestesses, Esmeraldas, Greek nymphs and maenads, oriental harem favourites or Cambodian temple maidens. After her film debut in 1908, she quickly became a film star, first with Pathé and later with Film d’arte Italiana, creating her own roles in the manner of pantomimes; at the same time she continued her brilliant stage career. Napierkowska was an influential fashion leader, and her dark slender beauty certainly looks like the role model of Josette Andriot. La Danseuse de Siva (1911), a film by Albert Capellani deemed to be lost until recently, has been identified by Tamara Shvediuk in the collection of the Gosfil’mofonds. The print originally belonged to Sergey Ivanovich Osipov, a cinema owner and distributor.

Mariann Lewinsky