• Liberating the Natural Movement: Dance and Dress Reform in the Self-Expression of Isadora Duncan (1877-1927)

    Author(s):
    Alicia Mihalic (see profile)
    Date:
    2019
    Group(s):
    Cultural Studies
    Subject(s):
    Modern dance, Dance, History, Fashion, Fashion--Study and teaching
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Dress and the Body, Dress History, History of Dress, Isadora Duncan, Dance history, Fashion theory, Fashion studies
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/h27a-a290
    Abstract:
    By laying the foundation for a new dance that would release the inner spiritual impulse through unrestricted movement, Isadora Duncan sought to return to the understanding of the body as a medium for harmonious expression of natural rhythms. Such kinetic celebrations of female vitality required the adoption of garments that challenged the dominant conventions of women's dress and represented a route to alternative practices that encouraged physical and personal freedom. This article builds a comprehensive view of Duncan's progressive identity by considering the ways in which the dancer aligned herself with late nineteenth century dress reform movements and adopted references from classical antiquity in order to develop a distinctive style within the context of both everyday sartorial presentation and performative culture.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Publisher:
    The Association of Dress Historians
    Pub. Date:
    Autumn 2019
    Journal:
    The Journal of Dress History
    Volume:
    3
    Issue:
    3
    Page Range:
    7 - 36
    ISSN:
    ISSN 2515–0995
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    3 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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