Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that the name IsadoraDuncan stands for freedom of spirit and its universality. She is considered the founder of modern dance philosophy. The writer notes that due to her, among others, at the beginning of the twentieth century, dance became an academic object of study. The writer maintains that it is clear and beyond any doubt that IsadoraDuncan brought innovations in the technique of the dance, but furthermore she also changed the role dance played in people's lives all over the world. The writer concludes that one may not have heard about IsadoraDuncan, but people all over the world enjoy watching people dance on stage or dancing themselves on the ring dance without knowing that they owe some part of their pleasure to such pioneers as Isadora.
From the Paper "She lived a tumultuous life, always on the verge, like her dance. She had two unofficial relationships and one child from each of them. She was also married for a short period of time to the Russian poet, Serghei Esenin. Her life was full of terribly tragic, but also happy moments. She made life achievements, founded a dance school that brought her legacy to the next generations and changed dance forever. She danced as she lived: free of any restraints and ready to confront old mentalities and break the rules. She set an example for the women at the beginning of the twentieth century. She dared to go over the limits set by the narrow minded and brought her understanding of art and her talent all over Europe and the USA. She freed dance from the ritualism and the rigid form imposed by ballet and made it regain its natural roots, finding inspiration in the Greek forms of art among others. Nature itself was another of the important sources of inspiration in her work."
Abstract This paper looks at the life of IsadoraDuncan, a pioneer in modern dance. It discusses her early life, personal life and education. The paper then addresses how her dance style was influenced by various elements such as Greek influence and American culture. It looks at Duncan's education and how this impacted her art. The paper concludes with the status of Duncan's dance style today and the existance of the IsadoraDuncan Dance Ensemble.
From the Paper "Isadora Duncan is recognized as one of the pioneers of modern dance as it is known today. Since childhood she had loved poetry, beauty and rhythm. She had a large amount of practical common sense juxtaposed with a dreaming quality, inherited from her father. As her childhood was marked by poverty, Duncan hated reality, and was a rebel (Dickson, 2001). This was all worsened by her parents? divorce and her mother's insistence that her father was practically subhuman. Furthermore Isadora's mother disavowed their faith and accepted atheism. The child's confusion was heightened by the fact that when she met her father, he was a charming, lovable man. This resulted in the fact that Isadora never lost her contempt for the institution of marriage as she had grown up with it."
Abstract This paper reviews the life of the artist, dancer and teacher IsadoraDuncan born in 1878 and discusses her contribution to American dance. It examines how IsadoraDuncan is largely credited with establishing what we now know as modern dance and how she infused the accepted dance modalities of her day with ideas old and new. It analyzes how Duncan's attitudes and approaches came from her native America and how these ideas involved a stress upon unfettered athleticism for both men and women. Duncan wished to develop the body's capacity for jumping, stretching and expressing emotions rather than pure excellence and form in isolation.
From the Paper "Thus, although she lived and traveled extensively in Europe, it is important to remember Duncan's origins in the United States and subsequent influence upon American dance's cavalier attitude towards formulaic traditions. ?Born in 1878 in San Francisco, Isadora Duncan grew up in a childhood filled with imagination and art. Her mother introduced her four children (Isadora was youngest) to classical music, as well as Shakespeare, poetry, literature and art. Isadora spent many hours playing and dancing upon the beach, and even taught dance classes to younger children as a way to earn a little extra money for the struggling family. In her teenage years, Isadora traveled to Chicago and New York with some of her family members, working and performing in various productions such as Mme. Pygmalion, Midsummer's Night Dream or vaudeville shows with limited success."
Abstract This paper discusses IsadoraDuncan's book "My Life" and her life in relationship to 'Section I' of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of the Open Road", which Duncan professes to be her favorite poem, probably because it reveals Duncan's specific philosophies of freedom and dance. The author points out that, in her life as a mother, a lover and a wife and her work as a dancer, who developed modern dance, Duncan broke away from conventional views seeking freedom from social and professional taboos and constraints.
The paper stresses that nature is Duncan's source of technique and dance content in which she expresses unbound freedom through her use of arms and upper body movements combined with simple steps, a style which Duncan intended to be the divine expression through the body of the human spirit.
From the Paper "The fourth stanza in "Open Road" moves on to a depiction of nature, as well as acceptance. The sufficiency that he finds in nature feeds the poet's freedom. Isadora Duncan finds in the freedom of nature the freedom of her inner expression. She was born at the seaside: "...I have noticed that all the great events of my life have taken place by the sea. My first idea of movement, of the dance, certainly came from the rhythm of the waves." Thus the freedom and movement that make up the radical free-form dance style that was Duncan's invention, are profoundly inspired by the sea. Again, the restriction placed upon her by the public school is sharply juxtaposed by the afternoons when she danced and played next to the sea. Duncan is also much influenced by the stars and astrology."
Abstract This paper looks at the life and works of dancer IsadoraDuncan. It explains that Duncan was unknown as a classical ballerina, in which she trained, but became famous once her style changed into a free modern style, which became her trademark. The paper discusses how Duncan's free style impacted the modern dance industry today.
From the Paper "At twenty, she arrived in London, having studied classical ballet in New York. She stayed in London one year, acted and danced in such plays as Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" but she was restless, fame eluded her (she had then, and later, always expected that her every movement would win her applause and stardom). She started to learn about and love everything Greek. No wonder that, when she arrived in Paris, she utilized her version of a Greek dancing outfit: bare legs, a diaphanous long skirt, and grand gestures that defied the "classical" tradition. Her words were often as outrageous as her dancing. "Dance is a religion and should have its worshippers." (Terry, p. 27)."
Abstract This paper presents a brief biography of the dancer, IsadoraDuncan, as well as a description of her philosophy of the dance form. The paper also discusses her influence on and contribution to modern dance.
From the Paper "Duncan's personal success as a dancer should not diminish what is perhaps her greater contribution, her success as a teacher and a creator of her own tradition. She began her first school in Grunewald, Germany in 1904, selecting children from the poorer classes and providing completely for all their physical and materials need from her own pocket. Later, she established schools in both Russia and Paris. Interestingly enough, these schools are proudly proclaimed as providing an unbroken legacy of tradition with their founders. ?The existence of Isadora's dances lies in the transmission of the choreographies from one dancer to another in an unbroken line of generations of Duncan dancers,? writes Lori Belivoe in the periodical and press release of the foundation that bears Isadora's name. (Belivoe, Isadora Duncan Foundation for Contemporary Dance, "Isadora Duncan Legacy and Schools") Duncan's indefinable, inexact balance between classicism and personal, inner artistic poetic expression manifested in dance thus became a "tradition" in and of itself."
Abstract Based on the film "Isadora", this paper describes the life and dancing tradition promoted by IsadoraDuncan. The paper highlights her non-conformist position in art and life.
Abstract This is a critical book review of "My Story as Told by Water" by David James Duncan which commends the author in his elaboration of the importance of the ecological system in lieu of our human needs. It examines the humor combined with serious message running through the novel and shows how Duncan is one of the few environmental writers who is capable of tempering his rage with humor.
From the Paper "The words of one reviewer as she commended this book said, "I thank David James Duncan for putting into words the profound idea that the salmon's presence is a breathtaking reminder of the rightness of the earth's own plan." And theses words are thus the thesis of the narratives in "My Story as Told by Water" by David James Duncan.
As the human civilization progresses we see that the environment is being affected adversely. There are tens of instances where humans have polluted nature and the results can be seen in the greenhouse effect and extinction of various species. This raises the question of the relevance of nature to the human. Environmentalists are focusing on the concepts of sustainable progress and in such a scenario books, which relate to the issue become indispensable. Thus, the book "My Story as Told by Water" by David James Duncan is one such contribution to the world."
Abstract During its heyday, England flew the Imperialist flag over a number of nations--India and Canada being the two most significant perhaps--and in doing so, colonized literature. The notion of Empire and all it represented was both fervently embraced and just as fervently repudiated depending on where you stood. Canadian authors of the early twentieth century were either British born, or born of British parents on Canadian soil. Imperialism, then, in one way or another permeates the novels and short stories of such authors as Sara Jeannette Duncan, Ethel Wilson and Stephen Leacock. Duncan's attitude to Imperialism is mixed, Wilson's is innate while Leacock embraces it - showing that his writing is, what is regarded by many as a "quintessentially" Canadian work.
Abstract This paper explains that, in "Duncan vs. Louisiana" (1968), the challenge by the defendant was that Louisiana had violated his right to a trial by jury. The author relates that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendant claiming that Louisiana had violated the man's constitutional rights. The paper reviews the chronology of due process and the right to impartial judgment, beginning with the fundamental constitutional standards and challenges to these rights. The paper stresses that this case indicates the development of a system, which extends the right of a trial by jury to any defendant who is facing a sentence for a crime that would break the six month federal minimum mandatory sentencing rule.
From the Paper "Duncan clearly had his rights violated when he asked for a jury trial and did not receive one. Especially given that the conviction was held on conflicting and limited witness testimony that was likely highly charged and differential. In the end is it possible that battery occurred simply because the defendant touched the other individual and yet it is unlikely that intent to do harm, an aspect of battery could have been proven in a court of law without a reasonable doubt."
Tags: tumez, trial by jury, due process, testimony, minimum mandatory sentencing
Abstract This paper focuses on the case known as "Duncan v. Louisiana" (1968) where an African-American was convicted of simple battery in Louisiana. The paper discusses the historical overview of this case that involves several court cases, among them "District of Columbia v. Clawans" (1937) and "Singer v. United States" (1965). The paper explains that this case was a "landmark" case because it reflects a pivotal moment on the part of the U.S. Supreme Court to make states comply with the amendments of the U.S. Constitution under the Fourteenth Amendment.
From the Paper "In the Clawans case, an individual was arrested for selling second-hand property without the proper license. In the District of Columbia this offense was punishable by a fine of not more than $300 - or, alternatively, of imprisonment of not more than 90 days. It was classified as a "petty offense," according to http://supreme.justia.com. According to the U.S. Constitution, at the time it was adopted by the U.S., a trial without a jury for petty crimes was the norm. And at that time, when a person was tried by a judge (and not a jury), he was not entitled to an appeal, if the ruling was guilty. Therein lies the issue in District of Columbia v. Clawans. Ms. Clawans, in this case, was sentenced to pay a fine of $300 for her misdeeds, and when she was being arraigned she demanded a trial by jury."
Compares portrayals of women's social, personal & artistic roles in dancer's autobiography & feminist writer's polemic in the two works "My Life" by IsadoraDuncan & "Sexual Politics" by Kate Millet.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 1996, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Isadora Duncan led a remarkable life that was atypical for women, even in modern society. Duncan eschewed conventions concerning motherhood and marriage, and travelled the world in her quest to perfect her art--the dance. Duncan exhibited both similarities and dissimilarities to Kate Millett's description of women in Sexual Politics.
Millett (1970) blames the patriarchal bias of society for the subordination of women, the family unit serving as the foundation of such beliefs. In her estimation, "Serving as an agent of the larger society, the family not only encourages its own members to adjust and conform, but acts as a unit in the government of the patriarchal state which rules its citizens through its family heads" (Millett, 1970, p. 33). Isadora Duncan's rebellion against traditional female roles perhaps..."
Abstract This paper examines how European and American theatrical dance had always centered on ballet until the early 20th century, when it became fashionable in dance circles to rebel against the strictures of tradition. It looks at how modern dance, which resembles modern art and music in that it is experimental and iconoclastic, developed primarily in the United States and Germany. It discusses how, in the beginning, modern dance was often misunderstood by audiences and how, by the 1950s, modern dance was firmly established in the dance world. It also shows how modern dance is said to be based on the four principles of substance, dynamism, metakinesis, and form, and how, due to the creative efforts of the modern dance pioneers, dancers today use a broader range of techniques, styles, and source materials than ever before.
From the Paper "The first American dancers to break from classical ballet were Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Ruth St. Denis (Modern pp). Although their styles differed, their unconventional approaches opened the door to a new era in dance history, namely the American modern dance movement of the 1920's (Modern pp). Those involved in this movement based their works on personal experience, using their bodies as instruments to express emotions such as passion, fear, grief or joy (Modern pp). The dancer created form as an outgrowth of his or her own communicative impulses, rather than adhering to the set form and limited range of gestures of ballet (Modern pp)."
Abstract In this aticle, the writer points out that in 'The Tragedy of Macbeth', even a modern-day audience is struck by the manipulative efforts of Lady Macbeth, whose scheming appears to drive her husband to commit horrible acts, including murder. The writer discusses that Lady Macbeth's apparent guilt by the end of the play makes some people question how much responsibility Lady Macbeth has for her husband's actions, because she shows more remorse than he does. Rather than suggesting that she is not responsible for her husband's actions, Lady Macbeth's guilty conscience actually helps demonstrate that she was as responsible for Duncan's murder as her husband. The writer concludes that although Lady Macbeth is not physically responsible for Duncan's murder, her actions make it clear that she is morally responsible for his murder, and would even be considered a co-conspirator under today's modern criminal law.
From the Paper "Of course, if Lady Macbeth had kept her plotting secret, never involving her husband in her plans, then Duncan would not have died. Lady Macbeth did not have the resources to commit the murder herself. It is unclear whether this is due to her lack of physical strength, or to the fact that she knew she would feel remorseful about the act, and maybe felt that indirect involvement would insulate her from her feelings of guilt. Whatever her motivation, it is clear that Lady Macbeth does not feel that she can kill Duncan on her own. Therefore, she begins to coach her husband, persuading him that he must kill Duncan in order to take his place as the king. As soon as Macbeth returns home and tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming, she begins plotting Duncan's death. Macbeth tells his wife that Duncan is coming to spend a night, and then leaving in the morning."
Abstract This essay discusses how the characterizations of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are enhanced by contrast in the scenes that precede and follow the murder of Duncan in Act 11. Macbeth undergoes a frightening change in his fortune -- a change for which he himself bears at least a partial responsibility. Lady Macbeth is directly involved in this transition.
