Isadora Duncan

Early Life and Struggles

Isadora Duncan was an American dancer and choreographer who is widely regarded as the mother of modern dance. She was born in San Francisco in 1877 and grew up in a poor family. After her parents’ divorce, she dropped out of school at the age of 10 and started teaching dance to local children to help her mother support the family. She moved to Chicago and then New York, where her vision for dance clashed with those of the theatre companies. She soon became dissatisfied with conventional ballet. In 1898, she traveled to Europe with whatever little money she had saved up to that point.

Rise to Fame in Europe

In Europe, she was able to showcase her expressive and natural style of dance, which gained her immense fame and recognition. Her admiration for ancient Greek art was evident in the way she danced barefoot with loose-fitting costumes. This style of dance captivated the upper class of London, and her fluid movement defied the rigid conventions of ballet. She soon gained a lot of traction as word of her performances spread. Soon, theatres across Europe were packed with people who were enthralled by her performances.

Inspirations from Greek Art and Mythology

Duncan’s study of Greek sculptures and mythologies inspired her belief in the innate grace of the human form, which was untethered from artificial constraints. She even wore diaphanous garments inspired by Renaissance paintings and Greek imagery, while her choreography celebrated the sensual and spiritual dimensions of the body.

Collaborations with Classical Composers

Isadora Duncan often performed to classical music by renowned composers such as Wagner, Beethoven, and Brahms, and was able to interpret their works with her own emotions and movements. Her own choreographies, such as The Dance of the Future, campaigned for a new style of dance, one that is free from the constraints of tradition and technique.

Legacy and Dance Schools

Duncan opened several dance schools in Europe and the US, where she taught her philosophy of dance and life. Despite a successful professional life, Duncan suffered a disastrous personal life.

Personal Tragedies

She had two children out of wedlock, one with former stage designer Gordon Craig and the other with Paris Singer, the heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune. Sadly, both of her children died in a car accident in 1913. She also lost her father, stepmother, and stepsister, who drowned when the steamship SS Mohegan hit Minstrel Rock and was underwater for 20 minutes.

Tragic Death

Duncan met a tragic end in 1927 when her long scarf got caught in the wheel of a car she was riding in, thereby catapulting her from the moving vehicle.