Isadora Duncan Masterworks 1905-1923

Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), who was bizarrely strangled by her silk scarf in a tragic car accident, was a seminal figure in modern dance, liberating the body from both the constraining garments and rigid postures that defined turn-of-the-20th-century dance. Andrea Mantell Seidel, seeking to preserve the artist's legacy through her work with the Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble, together with nonagenarian Julia Levien, who danced with the original company, introduce viewers to a fourth generation of Duncan dancers, who along with resident guest artist Bambi Anderson are seen here in a series of performance clips demonstrating the evolution of the Duncan “new system” of flowing, interpretive movement. Beginning with an early work set to Shubert's “Ave Maria,” and progressing more or less chronologically through pieces by Chopin, Brahms, Gluck, and Scriabin, the dances in Isadora Duncan Masterworks 1905-1923 become darker and more complex, ending with 1923's “Warshavianka” (Songs from Revolutionary Russia). An earnest if also uneven production, this performance assemblage is likely to be appreciated by those who are already familiar with Duncan's life and work. A strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)