Would the virtual rehearsal be possible without an experienced Duncan dancer in the room? I’m not sure. Perhaps it would for another technique, but Isadora Duncan dancing involves a specific way of moving that is similar to other forms of dance but ever-so-slightly different. It is hard to explain verbally, so I’m not sure how this process would work without an experienced Duncan dancer in the room. It might be an interesting experiment.
Today I relied a lot on Nicole. Dancers, like Nicole, who have been immersed in the Duncan technique for several years have a style and an impetus to their movement that is not a stark contrast to other techniques they have learned, but rather is a nuanced motivation that, while possibly only be visible to a trained eye, changes the movement entirely.
The Duncan technique, when performed incorrectly, can often look like bad Ballet dancing. This is why Duncan dancing often has a negative connotation among the highly trained dancers of today. In isadoraNOW, we try to stay true to the athleticism and strength that Isadora incorporated into her movement, as well as the romantic and soft elements.
I’ve heard some describe Duncan dance as the original release technique and I could not disagree more. While release technique involves a tightening and release of muscles, I would argue that the Duncan technique never involves a complete release of the muscles. There is a softening and a breath associated with the technique, but even in the exhale and curve of the torso, there is a contrasting tightening of the abdomen to support the lower back.
It is these types of nuances that are difficult to describe over a video chat and often involve a hands-on demonstration and manipulation. One of my favorite ways to see this contrast is to observe the same dancer when she first began to study the Duncan technique and after years of being immersed in it.
Continuing to use Nicole as our example, watch this clip of her just 6 months into her Duncan training and then again more than two years into it. Nicole is a beautifully trained dancer, with a natural grace, but she had to learn to motivate her movements from her solar plexus and to meld one movement into the next as Isadora always did. While these are different dances, they are both Isadora Duncan’s choreography and show how Nicole’s technique has developed over the years. Can you see the difference?