TIME wrote that one of the reasons Tayor Swift was selected as person of the Year was because of the influence she’s had on others. 2023 was a difficult year but, according to TIME, “Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light.” She’s also the first person to be selected because of her achievements in the arts.

Several months ago Taylor was making the news in Italy because of the bonuses she gave to everyone working on the Colossal Eras Tour with her. That alone, in my opinion, is reason enough to name her as person of the year. Every day we read about the rich who are so greedy that they don’t adequately pay their employees. Finally, someone who has respect for those who’ve helped them make money in the first place. Brava Taylor!

Taylor has also encouraged many young people to register to vote. Last September, she wrote this on her Instagram Stories:

“I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my U.S. shows recently. I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!” She ended the post with a link to Vote.org. An hour after the post, Vote.org reported a 1,226% jump in registrations.

Unfortunately, I do not know much about Taylor or her music. However, I recently read that she dedicated a performance to  Loïe Fuller on her 2018 “Reputation Tour” and recreated Fuller’s famous “Serpentine Dance.” Now that’s impressive. Not only does she give her employees big bonuses and encourage young people to vote, Taylor also promotes the arts.

Loïe Fuller (1862-1928) was an American dancer and theatrical lightening expert. Although she didn’t have any formal training, she began performing as a child. Loïe knew how to move and how to improvise.

In her teens, Loïe worked in vaudeville and was even part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show before moving to New York. It was here she began to refine her concept of choreography.

To dance, Loïe’ focused on her costume that consisted of 100 yards of Chinese silk. When she moved, the silk would billow around her making her look like a blooming flower. The effect was made even more dramatic by a chemical compound she’d invented that illuminated her costume as it was in motion.

By 1891, Loïe had created her famous “Serpentine Dance” that achieved critical success. Her success was such that other dancers began imitating her. Tired of how she was being treated in NYC, Loïe left for Europe where she was well received and became a regular performer for the Folies Bergére. Loïe’s talents attracted the attention of many French artists and scientists. Feeling appreciated, she stayed in Paris.

Wanting to radiante even more, Loïe wrote Madame Curie and her husband. Intrigued by the Curies’ radium experiments, Loïe hoped to use radium to light up her costumes even more. But the scientist denied the dancer’s request saying it was just too dangerous to try. To thank her for responding, Loïe offered Marie and her husband a private performance of her dance. This interrelating of interests created a lifelong friendship between the two women.

Loïe died of pneumonia in 1928. Her ashes are at Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris (division 87, columbarium urn #5382).

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Related:

TIME’s Motivation for selecting Taylor Swift + Taylor Swift’s ‘Time’ Cover Is Breaking Far-Right Brains + Taylor Swift was named TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year—making her the first woman to appear twice on a Person of the Year cover since the franchise began in 1927 + Taylor Swift Gives Over $55 Million in Bonuses to Everyone on Colossal Eras Tour + A Taylor Swift Instagram post helped drive a surge in voter registration +

Fifteen years of a dancer’s life by Loie Fuller on Archive + Loie Fuller the “Serpentine” Dance Girl video+ Two visionaries: Marie Curie forged a friendship with dancer Loïe Fuller + Loïe Fuller’s Radium Dance +

How the Radioactive Friendship of Marie Curie and Loie Fuller Changed the World + Book Madame Curie by Eve Curie, daughter of the scientist on Archive HERE +  Serpentine Dancer, The life and legacy of the wildly inventive choreographer and performer Loie Fuller +