Dances by Isadora Boston

Exploring, preserving, and sharing the repertoire and technique of Isadora Duncan.

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Dances by Isadora was founded in 1989 by Patricia Adams and Catherine Gallant in the Boston area. Patt and Catherine performed together primarily in solos and duets (with pianist Vivian Taylor) from 1986-1993, gradually expanding the company to include local dancers whom they trained in the technique. In 1993, Catherine established the company's presence in NYC. We are proud to say that Dances by Isadora maintains a base of activity in both New York and Boston with connections to the international Duncan community.  The Boston group, Dances by Isadora Boston, is co-directed by Kelli Edwards and Sandy Zarotney Keldsen after Patricia Adams. 

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Dances by Isadora Boston’s mission is to share the work of modern dance pioneer and feminist, Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).  The company is also dedicated to the growth of new work which comments on history and culture while making connections from the past to the present.  Considered the Mother of Modern Dance, Duncan drew inspiration from nature and natural movements as well as classical Greek art and myths to develop an entirely new way of moving that freed the body from both physical and social constraints. Dances by Isadora is committed to educating audiences and students of all ages through touring, its educational programs and performances.

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Embodying four generations of the Duncan legacy, members of the group have studied with keepers of Isadora's flame, including Julia Levien, Hortense Kooluris, Gemze de Lappe, Annabelle Gamson, and Sylvia Gold. Dances by Isadora offers rarely seen dance gems from Duncan’s repertoire in programs that bring this dance of breath and spirit to a new generation. The group is dedicated to the growth of new work and reconstructions which comment on the past while looking to the future. 

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To see DANCES BY ISADORA is to be allowed a rare glimpse of the haunting honesty that shocked audiences a century ago. Dances by Isadora has brought the work of Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) to vibrant life for audiences in the US and abroad since its founding 1989.

 

Dances by Isadora challenges expectations about who dances and why. We are passionate about igniting a curiosity for dance, inviting audiences of all ages, genders, abilities and cultures to consider the impact of dance in their own lives. We have brought many performance projects out of the theater and into public space thereby developing new audiences. These works have been presented in public spaces including the Jacob’s Pillow outdoor stage, the Crane Estate, Green-Wood Cemetery, Mount Auburn Cemetery, the NYC subway, Chesterwood in Stockbridge MA, the Dorothy Strelson Garden (LES) and Central Park at the Bethesda Fountain for the annual Isadora Duncan Birthday Celebration.

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For more information about Isadora Duncan, visit the Isadora Duncan Archive.