Mata Hari (1876–1917,) born Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, née Zelle, was a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and alleged spy, synonymous with seductive espionage. Executed by the French government during World War I for allegedly spying for Germany, her guilt remains debated.
Born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, she married Dutch colonial officer Rudolf MacLeod (1895) and moved to Java and Sumatra. After their troubled marriage ended, she reinvented herself in Paris (1905,) adopting the stage name Mata Hari, meaning “eye of the day” in Malay. Her Javanese-inspired performances captivated audiences across Europe.
During World War I, she became romantically involved with high-ranking military officers from both France and Germany. Arrested by French authorities in 1917, she was accused of espionage and executed by firing squad.
Her life inspired numerous biographies, including Russell Warren Howe’s Mata Hari: The True Story (1986) and Michelle Moran’s Mata Hari’s Last Dance (2016,) a historical novel based on her life.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Mata Hari
The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word.
—Mata Hari
Topics: Dance, Dancing
Leave a Reply