Isadora Duncan Biography

Isadora Duncan was an American pioneer of dance and is often referred to as the ‘Mother of Modern Dance’. She began dancing when she was a child and soon started giving dance lessons but came to abhor the rigidity of ballet. She dropped out of school because she found it too stifling for her attitude, thus displaying her individuality even as a young girl. Her unconventional dance technique created a sensation in Europe, America and Russia. She believed that dance should be based on the notion of free-spiritedness and not on rigid rules. She was inspired by the ancient Greek sculptures to create a totally new way to dance. Her dance was natural and not contrived, with free-flowing costumes, bare feet, and loose hair, and the music of classical composers became her trademarks, shocking some and inspiring some others. Her attitude to life was just as unconventional as her dance. She challenged the prevailing traditions, did not believe in the institution of marriage though she eventually married. On the flip side, her behavior was often scandalous and unbecoming of aperson of her talent. Tragedy dogged her wherever she went and the loss of her children shattered her and in the end she perished in a freak accident herself. Jack Anderson, dance critic, wrote about her as the woman ‘who put the modern into modern dance’.