• Liberating the Natural Movement: Dress Reform and Historical References in the Self-Expression of Isadora Duncan

    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:
    Conference paper
    Conf. Title:
    The New Research in Dress History Conference
    Conf. Org.:
    The Association of Dress Historians
    Conf. Loc.:
    The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
    Conf. Date:
    24 May 2019
    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/10.17613/9a0a-d984
    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 study 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
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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