Book – My Life by Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan and her life—the book had me in tears as I read it, and I wished it would never end. I feel this book is transforming me, reshaping the way I perceive music. And yes, there’s such joy and inspiration in finally having read it.

Music from My Life book by Isadora Duncan:

1. • Felix Mendelssohn
     • Songs Without Words
     • Spring Song
     • Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21 (performed by Gergiev, MTO, 2008)
   • Ethelbert Nevin
     • In Dreamland, Op. 30, No. 2
     • Narcissus, Op. 13, No. 4
     • Ophelia from Water Scenes, Op. 13, No. 2
     • Water Nymph from Water Scenes, Op. 13, No. 3
   • Frédéric Chopin
     • Preludes, Waltzes, Mazurkas
   • Robert Schumann
   • Ludwig van Beethoven
     • Symphony No. 7
     • Symphony No. 5
     • Moonlight Sonata
     • Piano Sonata No. 23 (“Appassionata”)
   • Johann Strauss II
     • The Blue Danube
   • Christoph Willibald Gluck
     • Orfeo ed Euridice – “Che Faro Senza Euridice?” (performed by Marilyn Horne)
     • Dance of the Blessed Spirits (from Orpheus and Eurydice)
   • Giuseppe Verdi
   • The Greek Byzantine Choir
     • The Era of Byzantion – Byzantine Hymns
   • Richard Wagner
     • Parsifal – Prelude
   • Johann Sebastian Bach
     • Allemande from Suite in C Major
   • Traditional Scottish
     • Joy to the Person (Skene lute book, performed by David Tayler, lute)
   • Franz Liszt
     • Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude

The method Isadora developed for herself in her dance work was rooted in carefully crafting each dance piece and then repeating the choreography multiple times to ensure it aligned with the specific music and audience. She improvised often, especially to folk music, dancing wherever she encountered it. Dance was a daily practice for her, a way of life with countless hours devoted to movement each day. She preferred loose, flowing clothing that didn’t restrict her body but instead emphasized her movements and the music. Color also held significant importance, serving as a medium to convey her message to the audience.

I also read An Aesthetics of the Dance, a selection of essays and fragments by Isadora Duncan. In it, she writes, “It is possible to dance in two ways: One can throw oneself into the spirit of the dance, and dance the thing itself: Dionysus. Or one can contemplate the spirit of the dance – and dance as one who relates a story: Apollo.”