Valse Des Rayons
(a.k.a. THE APACHE DANCE)
written by jacques offenbach
VALSE DES RAYONS  &  THE APACHE DANCE
DANCE CONTEST   (POPEYE)   1934
THE APACHE DANCE
MORNING, NOON & NIGHT CLUB   (POPEYE)   1937
Valse Des Rayons is a well-known arrangement from Jacques Offenbach's 1860 ballet Le Papillon. The song was popularized in the early 1900's when it became aligned with the dramatic and violent Apache Dance from French vaudeville. "Apache" refers to the Parisian underground of the early 199s, and the dance, which sometimes employs stage combat, mimics a violent interaction between a prostitute and her pimp. The dance was created in 1903, and it was quite popular by 1908. The song most commonly associated with the Apache Dance was Offenbach's Valse Des Rayons. Often the dance is performed in a comedic style. Such as when the song and dance were featured in the classic 1934 Popeye short Dance Contest, where it is performed by Bluto and Olive Oyl, and then Bluto and Popeye. The dance had been featured on film over a dozen times by 1934, in films such as a 1929 Mickey Mouse short, a performance by Clara Bow and a film with Buster Keaton dancing the woman's part in drag. The dance was performed by Popeye and Bluto again the 1937 Popeye short Morning, Noon and Night Club. In the following couple decades the dance appeared in film and television dozens more times, such as in Charlie Chan, Abbott and Costello and I Love Lucy. The dance continues to be showcased today, and was featured in the 2007 music video for Apocalyptica's I Don't Care, and in the 2013 music video for Pink's Try.
1860

JACQUES
​OFFENBACH
1908

BLACK
DIAMONDS
BAND
1910

from two
French silent films

APACHE DANCE
with alternate
music
1915

from the film
LES
VAMPIRES
192?

APACHE DANCE
​from 1920's
French film
1924

VICTOR
​SALON
ORCHESTRA
1926

APACHE DANCE
from
UK silent film
THE RAT
1926

APACHE DANCE
from
​the silent film
SUNSHINE OF
PARADISE
ALLEY
1930

BUSTER
​KEATON
from the film
DOUGHBOYS
1933

CICELY
COURTNEIDGE
from the film
AUNT SALLY
1934

GRACIE
FIELDS
from the film
QUEEN OF HEARTS
1934

APACHE DANCE
​from the short
ART TROUBLE
1935

APACHE DANCE
from the film
LA DANCE
​APACHE
1935

APACHE DANCE
​from the film
CHARLIE CHAN
IN PARIS
19??

​ORGUE DE
​BARBARIE
1937

APACHE DANCE
​from the serial
BLAKE OF
SCOTLAND
​YARD
1937

APACHE DANCE
from the film
THE CRAZY
GANG

​
1942

from film climax
SWEATER
​GIRL
1954

RITA DIMITRI
& JIMMY
DURANTE
from
musical spoof
on Paris
1954

APACE DANCE
from the film
THE PHANTOM
OF THE RUE
MORGUE
1959

APACHE DANCE
from the film
PARADIES DER MATROSEN
1960


APACHE DANCE
​from
DOS LOCOS
EN ESCENO
1962

from
I DUE
MAFIOSI
1963

SANDRA DEE
from the film
TAKE HER
SHE'S MINE
1965

APACHE DANCE
from
the series
BURKES LAW
1973

LE
​PAPILLON
2005

MICHAEL
& EVITA
20??

ATLANTA
​BALLET
2007

APOCALYPTICA

I DON'T CASE
2013

PINK

TRY
2015

VICTOR
​ULLATE
2019

LES TITIS
DE BASTILLE
DISCLAIMER:  This site is for entertainment purposes only. All recordings and videos are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarships and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statue that might otherwise be infringing.