Product Details

• Directors: Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine
• Format: Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: January 15, 1990
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1559742879
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,833 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), the "Mother of Modern Dance," was a complex and charismatic rebel who dared to defy Victorian mores through both her art and the way she lived. In this illuminating and gracefully crafted documentary, excerpts from Duncan's speeches, essays and autobiography are interwoven with rare archival photographs, historic film footage and re-creations of twelve of Duncan's dances to provide a balanced and engaging portrait of one of this century's most outspoken and intriguing personalities. Duncan raised dance from mere vaudeville entertainment to a legitimate art form, laying the foundation for today's modern dance.

The first American performing artist to gain international acclaim, she dared to use her choreography to call people to arms, to express the plight of repressed workers and agitate for the freedom of women. The film chronicles the creation of Duncan's dance schools in Berlin, Paris and Moscow; her uninhibited love affairs; the birth and tragic death of her two illegitimate children; and her own famous demise when her scarf met the well of an Italian sports car. ISADORA DUNCAN uses not only Duncan's dances but also her own words to tell her story. The narration, read by stage and film star Julie Harris, is culled from Duncan's speeches, essays and autobiography, prividing a colorful and unsentimental framework for the film.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful bio of Isadora Duncan, September 11, 2003

By 

"ksolm" (Davis, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Isadora Duncan: Movement From the Soul [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have seen most of the videos available regarding Isadora Duncan, and this is by far my favorite. The video is structured like a Ken Burns documentary with still photos and an assortment of period film clippings supplemented with voiceovers for the primary cast of characters. Julie Harris supplies the voice of Isadora Duncan (a wonderful choice!) and reads excerpts from Isadora's autobiography (My Life). She has a very expressive voice and makes you feel like you are listening to a wonderful storyteller reminiscing about her colorful and exciting life.

Examples of some of Isadora's best-known choreographies are performed by Lori Bellilove and Madeleine Lytton with a background chorus from the Oakland ballet. Lori in particular brings Isadora's choreography alive and makes you think that you have caught a glimpse of the legendary dancer and an idea of why she so fascinated audiences. Wonderful video... the dance excerpts alone are worth the purchase price. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Isadora Duncan: Movement From the Soul [VHS], June 15, 2009

By 

L. Berger "dance educator" (Norwalk, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Isadora Duncan: Movement From the Soul [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Isadora Duncan: Movement From the Soul
Excellent documentary of the Artistic contribution of an American Pioneer Dancer who emerged from the isolation and restrictions of the 19th Century through her own vision and perservation to inspire fellow artists and audiences in the Western world. Her sense of humanity lives on through her deciples.

The reconstruction of her dances are as inspiring today as they were when she created them.