Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan 1877-1927

Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in San Francisco, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. Both in her professional and private lives, Duncan flouted traditional conventions and morality. She was bisexual. She alluded to her Communism during her last United States tour, in 1922; Duncan waved a red scarf and bared her breast on stage in Boston, proclaiming, "This is red! So am I!".  By the end of her life Duncan's performing career had dwindled and she became as notorious for her financial woes, scandalous love life and all-too-frequent public drunkenness as for her contributions to the arts. Duncan's fondness for flowing scarves was the cause of her death in an automobile accident in Nice, France when she was passenger in an Amilcar, and her silk scarf, draped around her neck, became entangled around the open-spoked wheels and rear axle, breaking her neck.

Artist Site: Damir Simic