The Offering By Drachin von Terra €¦ · Isadora Duncan found long-lasting inspiration in the paintings and sculptures of ancient Greece as well as in the art of the Italian renaissance

The Offering

By Drachin von Terra

www.artistesfemmesdeterra.com

1

The Offering,

Isadorian Dance seen through drawings, photos and a concise analysis with an annotated bibliography.


©2015 Doris Büger – artist name Drachin von Terra (all texts and drawings)

The original German version, “Das Geschenk”, is archived in the Isadora Duncan Archives in

Cologne, Germany.

©2020 English translation and up-dates by Drachin von Terra and Zed Terra.

Drachin von Terra_Les Dames du Lac _Photo Zed Terra 2014

Would Isadora Duncan have agreed to my making the following statements about her and about

her Dance?

Nature was her favourite teacher.

And in the midst of the infinite universe comes the question: What brings well-being?

Seeing beauty? Giving and receiving with Love? Allowing emotions to express themselves? Feeling

strength and grace?

Living Truth?

The Offering



2

“La Danse Isadorienne” drawing Drachin von Terra 2013

___________________________________________________________

1)

Isadora Duncan discovered that all our movements originate in

the Solar Plexus, the centre of our emotions.

Where exactly does one find the Solar Plexus?

“The size of a fist, it is situated in the centre between the 2 lowest ribs,

and not as is often said, in the upper chest area.” 1

__________________________________________________________________________

2)

My own most important discovery has been that there are two centres from which movement

originates in the Isadorian Dance: the solar plexus and the pelvis. These 2 centres move/twist

simultaneously in opposite directions.

The very specific and typical body line of the Isadorian Dance creates the shape of a half circle or

quarter circle. This shape is obtained by simultaneously twisting the Solar Plexus and the pelvis in

opposite directions, while bending the body and gently flexing the joints. (See photographic

representations of the “Isadorables”. 2

The Offering



3

Drachin vonTerra and Jess Nightengale Photo Zed Terra 2014

3)

The plexus leads the movement and draws the body followed by the arms and legs into movement

with a slight delay.

The viewer gets the impression of being submerged in an underwater world.

The air seems to thicken and to resist.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Please note:

During her entire stage career (more than 20 years), Isadora Duncan used one single decor. This

decor was a stage set of her own creation: very high grey-blue curtains dropping heavily to the floor,

with blue green carpets. 3

In a blue environment the brain reacts more intensely to emotion.

(according to a study by Dr. Gilles Vanderwalle in 2010 at the University of Liège).

Was the dramatic lighting effect using coloured light a gift from Loïe Fuller?

The Offering



4

Drachin von Terra‟s Drawings of Isadora Duncan‟s choreography Slow Mazurka on music by Chopin

(Mazurka Op.17 n°4)

4)

Isadora Duncan found long-lasting inspiration in the paintings and sculptures of ancient Greece as

well as in the art of the Italian renaissance period. 4

5)

The body movements in her dance technique trace curves, circles, figures of eight (or infinity) and

s-curves.

6)

The undulation inherent in her dance technique is inspired by ocean waves.

Isadora insists that essentially all movement in nature is expressed through undulation. 5

7)

Movement is steadily uninterrupted flowing.

8)

Elasticity of all joints: for example, the wrists, elbows and shoulders are extremely flexible. All

limbs are almost always slightly bent, so that one hardly ever sees a straight line.

9)

The strong expression of a tilted head as well as gesturing hands and expressive fingers are also

trademarks of the Isadorian Dance, 6

10)

Another important feature which marks this dance is the body‟s playful interaction with the earth‟s

gravity through the tensing and releasing of body tension. 7

________________________________________________________________

The Offering



5

11) Isadora created her dance technique by associating natural human movements such as walking,

striding, prancing, running, skipping and jumping, with her own version of ballroom dance steps

inspired by the Waltz and Polka. 8

12)

Time becomes elastic in her dance. Isadora doesn‟t dance strictly on the beat of the music. On the

contrary, she invents the freedom of either deliberately staying behind the tempo of the music or

preceding it.

“Shall I let myself be chased after by the music?

Or shall I chase the music“?

____________________________________________________________

13)

The pelvis is extremely mobile.

Very typically one tucks the pelvis in, like in the martial arts.

______________________________________________________________

14)

She dances barefoot, one moment she raises herself high up on the front cushions of the foot, and

then again moving, shifting in deeply grounded stances, as if she were rooted in the earth. Her weight

rests primarily on one single foot.

While walking, prancing, skipping, in the Amazon run, or while waltzing and dancing the

polka…the foot is rolled off from the tip of the foot to the heel.

__________________________________________________________

15)

There is always movement; Creating even just tiny, almost invisible movements, gives the viewer a

vision of infinity.

__________________________________________________

16)

Harmony.

Even the seemingly simplest movements are complex in the twists of the body. Moreover, these twists

happen in harmonious successions instead of being one single movement. The gestures and the body

shapes take their time to emerge, and all unnecessary tensions are released.

This can be seen in the archived film footage showing the dance of Anna Duncan; filmed by

Nickolas Muray in 1927. Anna Duncan entrusted her archives to Kathleen Quinlan-Zetterberg,

Sweden, and the Anna Duncan archives are now a part of the Isadora Duncan Archives in Cologne,

Germany.

_________________________________________________

The Offering



6

17)

Isadora discovered movement dynamics which enable the body to economize muscle power and

operate on an auto-energizing principal much like a dynamo,

as opposed to muscle straining dance techniques (e.g. classical ballet or Martha Graham).

18)

The Isadorian Dancer never gives the impression of being in a rush. This doesn‟t mean that she

can‟t move with lightening speed comparable to acceleration in film editing.

19)

Hold onto weight in downward movement; let go of weight in upward movement.

Breathe out in the downward action; breathe in during the upward release.

20)

Each move is preceded by a swing in the opposite direction: Swing back to move forward, swing

left to go right, drop down before jumping up.

21)

Variations.

In her dances, Isadora often repeated the same movement or even entire sections of her

choreography (often 3 times).

She would, however, do this without it ever being the same because she created variations. For

example: variations in timing, in the creation of volumes, in direction; or in the intensity of emotion

which calls forth gestures.

She danced crescendos and allowed her emotion and expression to develop. Spontaneous, natural

variations are thus achieved.

______________________________________________________________

22)

In Isadora‟a dance, there is a powerful combination of two contrasting aspects:

“Strength and Grace”.

23) Isadora was a great mime according to André Levinson in “La Danse d‟Aujourd‟hui” (1929).

24)

She encourages authentic, profound communication with the other dancers rather than acting or

being theatrical.

25)

She trusts that she can give herself fully over to the music and her dance.

The Offering



7

26) Find your own source of inspiration.

Many painters and sculptors found inspiration in Isadora Duncan‟s art, as did dancers of her time

and today‟s contemporary artists. The Russian Ballet is a widely acknowledged example of Isadora

Duncan‟s influence on dance. (In Fokine‟s “Spectre de la Rose”, I can see Nijinsky dancing a moment

of Isadora‟s Rose Petals Waltz. Photos of Nijinsky‟s “L‟Après-midi d‟un faune”, depicting nymphs

dancing barefooted remind me in their poise of Isadora‟s Tanagra Figures). 9

At one point, Isadora makes a suggestion to her numerous imitators:

Instead of imitating her gestures and movements they should go back, and take their inspiration from

the source which inspired Isadora - nature: the fascinating, nervous fluttering of leaves in the wind,

for example, was the source of inspiration for one of her dances in which her arms, hands, and fingers

shake and flutter like leaves during a storm.

Maria Theresa Duncan transmitted to Pamela de Fina that as children they were incited by Isadora to

observe the clouds to inspire their dancing.

I personally have been inspired by but just one other fabulous teacher of slow motion:

The Burgundy Snail!

27)

Find movements that are in accordance with your own body, and movements which are an

expression of your own life experience.

28)

Dance your own life, and take your dance into your everyday life.

Become the dancer of your own life.

Inspirational source today:

For me, Andrea Mantell Seidel and her Isadora Dance Ensemble is the closest representation to how

I imagine Isadora Duncan‟s dance to be. The film “Isadora Duncan Dance: Technique and

Repertory” has been the greatest source of inspiration and guide in the evolution of my own dance.

Kathleen Quinlan in my eyes is the most inspiring teacher for children in the art of Isadora Duncan‟s

dance.

The Offering



8

Biographical note on Drachin von Terra:

In 1993, Drachin von Terra and Zed Terra created Terra, a non-commercial space in nature situated in

Burgundy, France, where they live, and where other women artists can come to focus on their art.

In 2002, Drachin met Annie Garby and studied an Isadora Duncan inspired dance technique, Danse Libre, for

several years. Drachin began researching Isadora Duncan to return to the roots of her art.

In 2009, Drachin had to stop her career in the fields of cinema and television because of cancer. Having

successfully overcome the illness, in spite of being left with an invisible handicap, she moved on to intensively

studying Isadora Duncan‟s art on her own, and went to learn with Kathleen Quinlan in Sweden (for whom she

translated some of Anna Duncan‟s letters). She also danced with Barbara Kane and with Andrea Mantel-Seidel

(whom she invited to come to Dijon to give a master class on the dance of Isadora Duncan). Drachin gave

classes and conferences to women interested in this dance, as well as to handicapped women, and to young

dancers at the conservatory of Dijon.

She created live performances with her dancers given at the “Jardin Darcy” in Dijon, at the “Théâtre

Mansart”, “La Coupole” , and “La Mare” de Fontaine-le- Dijon, as well as in Vezeley, a well-known medieval

city in Burgundy.

Since 2018, she has decided to dedicate herself to film-making and is presently doing the editing and post-

production of her long feature film entitled “The Ladies of the Lake, the four seasons” (Les Dames du Lac, les

quatre saisons) in which her vision of the Isadorian Dance is an important part. The film is scheduled to come

out 2020-2021. More information is available on the Artistes Femmes de Terra website (site of the association

for women artistes in Burgundy created in 2009 by Drachin and Zed).

FOOTNOTES

1 According to Amy Swanson, Duncan Dancer from Boston USA. Co –Founder of the Theatre: Studio Le Regard

du Cygne, Paris, France.

2 See “Wind Fire” Maria Theresa Duncan on the Acropolis, 1921 Photograph by Edward Steichen.

Also see: Lisa Duncan, Photo Arnold Genthe LDS / DTK in “Isadora und Elisabeth Duncan in Deutschland”

Frank-Manuel Peter (Hrsg/Ed) Deutschen Tanzarchivs Köln, 2000. Page 22.

3 There were two exceptions in her chosen decor that are noted:

- 1917: The Metropolitan Opera House in New York; there were two large staircases used as props.

- 1924: Irma Duncan writes to Isadora about red curtains used on stage which were destroyed by mildew

since they were packed while damp, therefore becoming unusable. ”Isadora Duncan’s Russian Days and her Last

Years in France” by Irma Duncan, 1927, Covici, Friede INC page 257.

4 A description of the costumes by Irma Duncan in Duncan Dancer, page. 189: ”To achieve the same Pleated effect

observed on Greek statuary, we started out by sprinkling the tunics with water. Two girls then got hold of the ends,

folding one tiny pleat upon the other, and then gave the whole thing a twist, held together by a ribbon. This had to

be repeted after each performance, so the tunics would be in proper shape for the next one. With so many tunics

involved, it was a laborious and patience demanding process. Isadora herself taught us this trick.”

5 Isadora Duncan, La Danse de l’Avenir, traduit par Sonia Schoonejans, Editions Complexe, 2003, page. 44.

6 Every Little Movement, A book about Delsarte by Ted Shawn, 1954, pp.36 + 37.

7 Martha Graham formulated the principle of “tension and release of tension”. A principal which is very much part of

Isadora Duncan‟s dance.

8 “The technique of Isadora Duncan as taught by Irma Duncan” (a Dance Horizons re-publication in 1970 of

Irma Duncan‟s small book published in 1937 on the technique of Isadora Duncan‟s Dance) is highly interesting

and I have indeed used it for some of my dance classes. However, after having spoken with Kathleen Quinlan

and seeing the dancers Andréa Mantell Seidel, Barbara Kane, Jeanne Bresciani and others, I realised that it is only

in seeing the dancer in her 3 dimensional body that the techniques of Isadora „s dance can be understood.

9 Anna Duncan, in an interview recorded by Kathleen Quinlan Zetterberg, says how, after having been inspired by

The Offering



9

Isadora, the Ballets Russes then inspired the Isadorables in return (described in her autobiography).

Isadora had taken the Isadorables to see “Le Spectre de la Rose” by the Ballets Russes, and the Isadorables

were fascinated by the flying jump they saw Nijinsky perform.

The next day, Isadora asked the Russian Ballet to send one of the dancers over to teach this way of jumping to the

Isadorables. Anna tells, with amusement in her voice, how the Isadorables were exhausted half way through the

warm up training before they even got to the jumping itself.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Annotated Bibliography From the Artistes Femmes de Terra Library:

Books in English on Isadora Duncan, on her dance and on the Isadorables:

ISADORA DUNCAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY. CAPTURING THE ART AND SPIRIT OF THE DANCER’S

LEGACY by Andréa Mantell Seidel, McFarland Press, 2015.

(very highly recommended)

__________________________________________________________________________________

DONE INTO DANCE, Isadora Duncan in America by Ann Daly, Wesleyan University Press, 1995.

(Very highly recommended)

_____________________________________________________________________________

DUNCAN DANCE: A Guide for Young People Ages Six to Sixteen by Julia Levien, A Dance Horizons Publication, 1995.

(Very helpful drawings and explanations by Julia Levien, one of the most beloved of the Isadora Duncan dance teachers who

learned with Anna Duncan and worked with Maria Theresa Duncan‟s company and with Andrea Mantell-Seidel‟s Isadora

Dance Ensemble among others).

DUNCAN DANCER by Irma Duncan, Wesleyan University Press, 1965.

THE TECHNIQUE OF ISADORA DUNCAN by Irma Duncan (1937) republished by A Dance Horizons Republication,

1970.

”ISADORA DUNCAN’S RUSSIAN DAYS AND HER LAST YEARS IN FRANCE” by Irma Duncan, Covici,

Friede INC. 1929.

A fascinating look into life with Isadora as seen by one of her “Isadorables“, truly a “must-read.

ANNA DUNCAN: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ISADORA I Isadoras fotspar by Kathleen Quinlan

Dansmuseet Stockholm, 1996 und 2010.

___________________________________________________________

LIFE INTO ART Isadora Duncan and Her World by Dorée Duncan, Carol Spratl, and Cynthia Splatt, 1993.

( The visual artist, Valentine Lecomte, started drawing Isadora in 1903 and continued doing so throughout her stage career.

Valentine Lecomte is one of my preferred arists to represent Isadora‟s dance in her drawings) A few drawings are included

in this book. In 2020, Lecomte‟s drawings are now in the “public domain” and are available in PDF format.

ISADORA, Portrait of the Artist as a Woman by Frederika Blair, McGraw-Hill Book Company, NY 1986.

+

ISADORA, The sensational Life of Isadora Duncan by Peter Kurth, A Little Brown Book 2001.

( Blair‟s and Kurth‟s books should be read in parallel. It seems that Kurth merely copied Blair‟s research and has added his

disdain for the artist instead of Blair‟s admiration for Isadora Duncan).

THE UNTOLD STORY, ISADORA DUNCAN’S LIFE 1921 – 1927 by Mary Desti, New York Horace Liveright 1929.

(What did being a best friend mean to Mary Desti?)

AFTER EGYPT, Isadora Duncan & Mary Cassatt by Millicent Dillon, A William Abrahams Book 1990.

WHERE SHE DANCED, The Birth of American Art-Dance, 1979 by Elisabeth Kendall, (1st California Paperback Ed.1984)

(Interesting for the dance context of the time : Ruth St. Denis, Martha Graham und Doris Humphrey inspired by Isadora

Duncan?)

THE SEARCH FOR ISADORA, The Legend & Legacy of Isadora Duncan by Lillian Loewenthal, Princeton Book

Company Publishers, 1993.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

THE BOOK OF THE DANCE by Arnold Genthe , BiblioBazaar, LLC 1920.

The Offering



10

BAREFOOT DANCER, the story of Isadora Duncan, by Barbara O‟Connor, Carolrhoda Books, Inc.1994.

IN ISADORA’S STEPS, The story of Isadora Duncan’s school in Moscow, told by her favourite pupil, Lily Dikovskaya,

with Gerard M-F Hill, The Book Guild Ltd. 2008.

ISADORA DANCES, by Rachel Isadora, Puffin Books. 1998.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

MARIA THERESA, Divine Being Guided by a Higher Order The Adopted Daughter of Isadora Duncan by Pamela De Fina,

Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. 2003.

________________________________________________________________________________________

NIJINSKY, PAVLOVA, DUNCAN Three Lives In Dance Edited by Paul Magriel, 1947.

(Highly recommended. Published 20 years after her death, one can still feel the admiration for this artist and how she is

considered to have revolutionized the world of dance. There is also an interesting chapter on the artists and Isadora.

Unfortunately there is insufficient coverage of the women artists involved).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

ISADORA DUNCAN, MARTHA GRAHAM and other stars of the Modern Dance :Paper Dolls in Full Color by Tom

Tierney, Dover Publications, Inc. New York 1983.

(Of all the dancers depicted, Isadora Duncan is the least credible even though the illustration was copied from a Photograph

by Arnold Genthe. Unlike the original photograph where one can see how grounded Isadora is with her weight in her lower

body, the paper doll illustration shows all her weight in her upper torso which makes her look like an amateur dancer.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

EVERY LITTLE MOVEMENT by Ted Shawn, (1954) republication by Dance Horizons/Princeton Book Co, Publishers,

third printing 1988.

( Ted Shawn describes Delsarte‟s ideas which, according to Ann Daly, Isadora knew well.)

_________________________________________________________________________________

Editions and Writings translated in French and Spanish by Isadora Duncan:

Isadora Duncan, La Danse de l’Avenir, translated by Sonia Schoonejans,

Editions Complexe, 2003.

Isadora Duncan, Isadora danse la Révolution, translated by Marie-Claude Peugeot,

Anatolia Editions du Rocher 2002.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Isadora Duncan, Ma Vie, translated by Jean Allary, Gallimard, 1932.

Isadora Duncan, My Life, Liveright ed. 1995 (paperback)

Isadora Duncan, El arte de la danza y otros escritos, Ediciones Akal 2008

_______________________________________________________________________________

French writings on Isadora Duncan:

Isadora Duncan une sculpture vivante

Musée Bourdelle, 2009

( The museum‟s catalogue of the exposition in March 2010 in Paris is a monumental work on Isadora Duncan‟s art and is a

must-read for anyone seriously interested in her dance).

Granjouan dessine Duncan, Centre National de la Danse, Pantin 2005.

(Impressive drawings which bring to life Isadora‟s strong and dramatic expressions, as well as her grace in giving herself

over to the music and the dance. These were drawn from the model – Isadora Duncan - while she danced.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isadora ou la révolution Isadorienne – de Isadora Duncan à Malkovsky by Odette Allard ,Editions des Ecrivains Associés

(disponible chez l‟auteur), 1997.

(Includes extracts of articles from French newspapers written at the height of Isadora‟s career showing the enthusiastic

response she received at that time. They can also be found in the Rodin Museum in Paris).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isadora Duncan, une Américaine aux pieds nus by Viviane Lofiego, Editions A Dos d‟âne, 2009.

The Offering



11

Isadora Duncan, Scénario Josépha Mougenot, Dessins Jules Stromboni, Grands Destins de Femmes, 2013.

(A “picture book” with nice drawings; too bad the authors felt they had to make fun of Loïe Fuller ).

__________________________________________________________________________________________

German writings on Isadora Duncan :

Isadora & Elisabeth Duncan in Deutschland, Frank-Manuel Peter (Publisher/Editor) Wienand Verlag,

Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln, 2000. (Containing some of the most expressive photos of Lisa Duncan by Arnold Genthe, this book is also a precious contribution to the history of

the Isadorables when they were in Elisabeth Duncan‟s care.)

„Ich sehe Amerika tanzen“ Isadora Duncan, Jochen Schmidt, Econ Ullstein List Verlag GMBH &

Co, München. 2000.

(More than merely an account of her life, this book raises some interesting questions.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Selected Films on Isadora Duncan and dancers inspired by her dance:

“ISADORA DUNCAN DANCE” TECHNIQUE AND REPERTORY, 1995. (60 min)

Andrea Mantell-Seidel artistic director, Julia Levien artistic advisor and the Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble Miami USA.

(My strongest inspiration and guide to understanding and feeling the art of Isadora Duncan).

Isadora Duncan MASTERWORKS Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble, Artistic Director and Soloist Andrea Mantell – Seidel, Bambi Anderson Resident Guest Artist /Soloist

DanceArts Foundation Inc. 2008, (52 min) (Bambi Andersons‟ The Furies and the Ensemble‟s interpretation of the Warshavianka Choreography is incredibly strong in its technique

and expression). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CELEBRATING A LEGACY, a Memorial Tribute Julia Levien 1911-2006, June 23, 2007 2nd St. Y, 2007 rammda productions. (Beautiful homage to Julia Levien, her creativity and her dedication to Isadora Duncan‟s Art).

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BRIEF MOMENTS - Kathleen Quinlan, four choreographies by Isadora Duncan, Dansmuseet Stockholm 1995. (20 min.)

(beautifully danced by Sweden‟s leading authority on Isadora Duncan, “spiritual daughter” and friend of Anna Duncan).

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ISADORA DUNCAN - la Danseuse Rebelle by Dayna Goldfine et Daniel Geller, (Original title: MOVEMENT FROM THE SOUL)

1988 (47 min.) (with Lori Belilove‟s powerful interpretation of the Furies).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ISADORA DUNCAN - Je n’ai fait que danser ma vie.by Elisabeth Kapnist, 2008 (60 min) (ausgestrahlt : Arte,

Includes Kathleen Quinlan Zetterberg and her company “ Lilla Baletten “ (in which one finds Lilly Zetterberg) as well as moments with

Carolyn Carlson who speaks of Isadora Duncan. There is footage of Anna Duncan‟s Films (1927) from Kathleen Quinlan „s archives on Anna Duncan which are now in Cologne. Also an interesting footage on the Russian Isadora Duncan Dancers).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Maïa, Katia et Volodia, Maïa Plissetskaia, un film de Dominique Delouche, 2005. (170 min)

(In an interview with Maurice Béjart she agrees that: “without Isadora Duncan, contemporary dance would have never existed”. Maïa

dances (unfortunately, in high heeled boots) Isadora„s «Knucklebones” on Schubert„s “Moment Musical“which was,according to Maurice

Béjar; t one of the original Isadora Duncan Choreographies transmitted by Lisa Duncan.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Carolyn Carlson „Vue d’ici“ 1996. 26min. + 60 min.

Agat Films + Cie, La Sept Arté

Fascinating and clearly, as she herself states, marked by Isadora‟s legacy.

________________________________________________________________

The Offering



12

Films - Artistes Femmes de Terra

2008 - 2020

Please visit our website for updates: artistesfemmesdeterra.com

Phoenix, 2012. 16 min.

Conception, Interpretation, film director, editor: Drachin von Terra on original music by Zed Terra..

Parting, 2013. 3 min.

Choreography, film director, editor: Drachin von Terra. Dancers Drachin von Terra and Zed Terra on original music by Zed Terra.

“Les Dames du Lac, les quatre saisons” (The Ladies of the Lake, the four seasons”),2020 (coming out in 2021).

Long feature film by Drachin von Terra in which Isadorian Dance is an important part.

.

PARTING Drachin von Terra and Zed Terra camerawoman and photo Nicole Clarac Lagès 2013

The Offering By Drachin von Terra €¦ · Isadora Duncan found long-lasting inspiration in the paintings and sculptures of ancient Greece as well as in the art of the Italian renaissance

Documents