In 1984 Laurie
Anderson released her four-part magnum opus entitled United States that included a song/poem/performance
piece, “Dance of Electricity,” all about the suppressed science of Nikola Tesla and his fierce battle with Thomas Edison that raged throughout the final decade
of the nineteenth century.
Since “Dance of
Electricity” was performed in 1983, it’s possible that Anderson’s piece was inspired by Margaret
Chaney’s comprehensive and highly readable biography TESLA: MAN OUT OF TIME, the first edition of which
was published in 1981.
However, it
should be noted that Anderson’s
interest in Tesla can be traced even earlier to her 1978 performance piece entitled
“Like a Stream,” which was inspired by a photograph of Tesla operating one of
his infamous giant coils.
Laurie Anderson's "Dance of Electricity" can be heard HERE.
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