The Tragic Fate of Emma Livry

A French Ballerina who died from complications after her costume caught fire during a rehearsal.

Historical Context

In the 19th century, theaters quickly became enamored with the concept of gas lighting. Dance at this time was much more dangerous than people gave it credit for. According to a piece written by Fiona Zublin, "not only were dancers at risk of death by fire, they were sometimes killed by overambitious stagecraft or crushed by falling sets." As a result, in 1859, laws were put in place demanding that all costumes and sets be made fireproof in order to better protect dancers from violent deaths and painful injuries. In a process known as carteronizing, tutus were "immersed in a chemical bath before being worn onstage." Unfortunately, this process left the skirts less than desirable for wear.

Emma Livry

At age 16, Emma Livry made her Paris Opera debut in 1858. She was highly regarded as a captivating and stunning prodigy---so much so that she drew the attention of ballerina absoluta herself, Marie Taglioni, and was quickly taken on as a protegee.

For two years, Livry refused to wear fireproof skirts. Unfortunately, this choice was a deadly one. On November 15th 1862, Livry fluffed her skirts too close to a gas lamp and went up in flames. 40% of Livry's body had been burned and her corset was not singed into her ribs. After 36 hours wrapped in bandages and several more spent convalescing, she passed away from blood poisoning. Her death, terrible as it was, inspired many safety measures that placed dancers physical safety at the forefront. There were "new designs for gas lamps, the invention of flame retardant gauze, and wet blankets hung in the wings."