Preliminary Dance Assessment: Part A.
Isadora Duncan.
“The dancer's body is simply
the luminous manifestation of the soul.” – Isadora Duncan
Background and Dance Training.
Isadora Duncan was born on the 27th of May in 1878. She was the fourth child born into an artistic family, her father was a poet and her mother was a pianist who also taught music. As a child Isadora was encouraged and influenced to acquire interest in reading, theatre, Shakespeare's work and dance.
In regards to dance training Isadora was largely self taught through improvising fantasy. At the age of six Isadora began to perform for money and also trained other children to dance. At only 10 years old Isadora left school as she believed it was restricting her individuality.
In 1895, at the age of 17, Isadora joined Augustin Daly’s theatre company in New York. She toured with the company performing in productions such as ‘Mid-Summer Night’s dream’ and ‘The Giecha’. Whilst dancing with the Daly Company, Isadora would perform around London as a soloist and soon left the Augustin Daly theatre company establishing her own program called “The Dance and Philosophy”. Six young dancers who Isadora trained (also known as the Isadorables) remained with her for the majority of her career.
Inspiration to Create Dance.
Isadora incorporated events in her life into her dance. She found inspiration in the political and social changes of the 20th century. The Louvre Museum’s collected works of Greek vases and iconography was introduced to Isadora when her family moved to Paris and she drew inspiration for her dances from the museum. Isadora displayed her inspiration from Ancient Greece in her dances and became crazed with the Ancient Greek culture. Isadora visited the Louvre Museum and continued to study antiquities, she was particularly interested in the Tanagra figures which displayed people performing simple movements.
Isadora found beauty in simple motions of the body and carried this inspiration into her choreography. The production of ‘Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex’; a Greek tragedy advanced Isadora’s fascination with Ancient Greece after going to see it with her mother and brother Raymond in France. Isadora’s father Joseph Duncan composed a poem titled Intaglio: Lines on a Beautiful Greek Antique which states “Greece is living Greece once more”, this poem influenced Isadora’s choreography and her fascination with Ancient Greece.
Influential Philosophies and Beliefs.
Isadora was the first American dancer to create a unique philosophy of dance. She believed in the splendor of natural, free movement, and aimed to captivate the audience with her spirit rather than choreography. The philosophies of Ancient Greek culture which stimulated and inspired Isadora were utilized in her choreography. Isadora combined her interest with Ancient Greece with her love of freedom to emphasize on free and naturalistic movements within her choreography. Isadora believed: the body is a expression of the dancers spirit and soul, women should dance their true character, performance should be pure, movement should not be based on formal considerations but instead based of natural space natural and spiritual laws. Isadora’s choreography was efficient to the music in her individual technique and composition. Her movements grew out of emotions evoked by the music. She believed that dance was a reaction to the music.
Affliction to Dance Troops or Companies.
Lori Belilove & The Isadora Duncan Dance Company is the finest company performing in the world today. The Company is under the artistic direction of third generation Duncan dancer Lori Belilove, whose direct lineage and prestigious performing career have earned her an international reputation as the premier interpreter and ambassador of the dance of Isadora Duncan. The Company is based in New York City and performs Isadora Duncan’s repertoire with a purity and natural style and execution of movement hailed by the international press, critics and audiences.
Founded in 1979 as the resident performing troupe of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, we offer certification programs, teacher training, and classes and workshops for children through professional levels.
Significant Dance Works.
Isadora displayed a variety of styles that she portrayed through her dances and sustained her philosophy of technique throughout her pieces. Her repertoires contain varieties of works displaying her individual style and techniques.
Some of her most significant works include:
Dance of the Furies: An influential dance portraying many changes in dance value. Profound, dragging and infrequent movements are used to display the emotion of the dance.
Scherzo: An exhilarating dance that makes use of diagonals and spatially.
Lullaby Solo: A soft, waltz-like dance with expressive arm movements that extend through the extremities.
Ball spiel: The idea of liveliness and ball-like movements. A swift lightness is essential in this dance. It consisted of hopping and running with lots of light, rapid footwork.
The Slide: A lively skipping dance containing sharp movements. This dance is performed with a scarf made from light silk fabric.
Defying Characteristics of Dance Techniques and Style.
Isadora’s choreography is often described as inspired improvisation. Some people believed Isadora had no technique and improvised her choreography but this is incorrect. Isadora’s dance technique and style developed as her career progressed but the “underlying ideology” of her technique remained consistent. Although Isadora’s style appears effortless it was also very precise and had a though out method of technique. She maintained the discipline of her classical ballet training but used it to create free curvilinear movements which stemmed from the solar plexus.
Unlike the traditional conventions of ballet Isadora’s choreography was arranged to the music in her own technique and dance composition. Her movements grew out of emotions evoked by the music. She believed that dance was a reaction to the music.
Isadora combined the body and mind to achieve her dance theory. She would embrace her dances until they became “habit” making her style appear natural and effortless. The rhythm of the music is shown through the legs and feet while the melody of the music is expressed with upper body movements that originate from the solar plexus.
Significant Role in the Development of Dance.
Isadora’s role in the development of modern dance is exceedingly significant being given the title of the ‘Mother of dance’.
Isadora revolutionized modern dance going against the traditions of classical ballet, insisting upon dance as pure, natural and an expression of the soul. Her technique of stemming movement from the solar plexus is a beneficial technique used today.
Isadora changed the role and view of dance and inspired the dancer to be unrestricted and self-expressive. She revolutionized the role of the dancer and changed dance as an art form.
Isadora’s impact on modern dance gave meaning to movement and changed individuals view of the body and the ways in which dance can be expressed.
