Schools and 'Isadorables'ĭuncan defied social custom in other ways and was viewed as an early feminist, declaring that she wouldn't marry and thus having two children out of wedlock. Duncan's achievements and artistic vision would lead her to be called the 'Mother of Modern Dance'-a moniker also shared by a successor of sorts, Martha Graham. Duncan's style was controversial for its time, as it defied what she viewed as the constricting conventions of ballet, placing major emphasis on the human female form and free-flowing moves. She embarked on successful tours, becoming a European sensation honored not only by enraptured audiences, but by fellow artists who captured her image in painting, sculpture and poetry. Duncan came to look at ancient rituals around dance, nature and the body as being central to her performance ideology.īarefoot and clad in sheaths inspired by Greek imagery and Italian Renaissance paintings, Duncan danced her own choreography in the homes of the financially elite before becoming a major success in Budapest, Hungary, having a sold-out run of shows in 1902. There with brother Raymond she studied Greek mythology and visual iconography, which would inform her sensibilities and general style of movement as an artist. Success in Europeĭuncan lived in Chicago and New York before moving to Europe. Duncan subsequently received tutelage from poet Ina Coolbrith. She requested to leave public school so that she, along with older sister Elizabeth, could earn income from teaching. At the age of 6, Duncan began to teach movement to little children in her neighborhood word spread, and by the time she was 10, her classes had become quite large. Her parents divorced when Duncan was an infant, and she was raised by her mother, Dora, a piano teacher with a great appreciation for the arts. With accounts varying, Isadora Angela Duncan was born circa (the date on her baptismal certificate some sources say May 27, 1878), in San Francisco, California. She later faced immense tragedy with the death of her children and spouse's suicide. She was a hit in Europe as a performer to classical music and opened schools that integrated dance with other types of learning. Isadora Duncan developed an approach to dance that emphasized naturalistic movement.

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