Isadora Duncan

Choreography: Isadora Duncan

With "Isadora Duncan", a piece conceived for Elizabeth Schwartz, the great French choreographer Jérôme Bel continues his series of portraits of dancers that he began in 2004. In contrast to "Véronique Doisneau", "Cédric Andrieux," and "Pichet Klunchun & Myself", Jérôme Bel for the first time draws a portrait of a deceased choreographer - Isadora Duncan, uncompromising pioneer and trailblazer of modern dance. Bel takes Duncan's autobiographical work "Ma Vie" ("My Life," 1927) as a starting point and discovers a visionary choreographer behind the romantic figure who, through great freedom of expression, spontaneity, and naturalness of movement, created the foundations of modern dance. In a mixture of discursive and sensitive styles, spoken moments and danced solos, the performance brings to life the memory of free dance. With its concern for dance as a means of emancipation, Bel activates Duncan's teachings and demonstrates the relevance of her critical potential: in addition to her dance skills, Duncan is also known for her feminist commitment and her promotion of a young generation of dancers. Her turbulent life made her a heroine of her time. With her bare feet, her thin "Grecian" tunics and her "free" movements, that is, freed from any known technique, she introduced a new idea of dance based on invention, improvisation and harmony of body and mind. Jérôme Bel's danced portrait "Isadora Duncan" is a moving masterpiece of contemporary dance.