Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) was an iconoclast of the art of dance. Her
first few jobs in theater companies had her doing lackluster dance
routines which left her uninspired. And her brief lessons in ballet left
her disappointed at the rigidity of the form. Instead, drawing
inspiration from ancient Greek art, she created her own dance format
based on natural movement. Performing barefoot, dressed in her signature
Greek tunics, Isadora began her career dancing in the salons and drawing
rooms of the European and American elite. Despite the controversy over
her unconventional style, by 1904 her popularity enabled her to open her
first school of dance in Berlin. Her philosophy of dance emphasized
natural flow, allowing each body movement to lead freely to the next,
thus restoring a sacred aspect to the ancient art. Leaping, running and
skipping were often involved in her performances. Her techniques and
choreography were passed along by her pupils, to become the foundation
of what is now called Modern Dance.
Wikipedia article: Isadora Duncan
