A woman who was never afraid to go against public opinion ... Her first groom was 29 years older, and her only husband was 18 years younger. She is still known to everyone as a dancer, but her innovative dance style at that time died with her, although she tried to establish her own schools in different countries in order to perpetuate her own vision of plastic and choreography. Such was Isadora Duncan, whose biography will be considered in this article. Her scandalous and unusual life was interrupted by a no less extravagant death. But the trace that she left in history has not caught a cold until now.
The birth of a future star
Life set up the first bandwagon of the future famous dancer before her birth. By the time the baby was to be born, the family already had three children. Yes, that's just the family itself was not. The father, who turned a major banking scam, escaped, leaving his pregnant wife and children to their fate. He took all the money with him and never appeared in the life of his youngest daughter.
It was 1877. Or maybe the 1878th ... January was outside the window. And maybe May ... The fact is that the exact date of birth of little Dora Angela Duncan is unknown. She was born in the bustling San Francisco, to the embittered screams of her father's deceived investors, who were raging under the windows of the house.
Early childhood
These trials, although it was a complete surprise for her mother, did not break the determined woman. She promised herself that, in spite of everything, she will raise children and provide them with everything necessary. By profession, Dora Angela's mother was a musician and, in order to support her family, she had to work hard, giving lessons.
She really managed to put all her children on her feet, and even give them a very good education. But she could not give enough personal attention to children physically. In order not to leave the little daughter alone at home for a long time, the mother sent the girl to school early, hiding her true age.
However, the evenings of the dedicated mother belonged to the children. She played for them the favorite works of Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven and other great composers. From early childhood, Duncan Isadora listened to William Shakespeare's poetry and poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
First love
Dora Angela began to be interested in men at a very young age. When she was only eleven years old, Dora Angela liked a young man named Vernon, who worked in a pharmacy warehouse. She was so persistent in her desire that the guy, in the end, was forced to come up with a nonexistent engagement. And only when he assured her that he was getting married soon did she back down.
However, do not hastily conclude that Dora Angela was a loose nymphet. This would be a clear distortion of the facts. Vernon's persecution, although persistent, was childishly innocent. Nevertheless, this episode from her life already tells a lot about the character of this eccentric person, with whom she will remain until her last breath. Isadora Duncan, whose biography writes more than one male name on her pages, will fully reveal herself as a woman much later.
Dream definition
Dora Angela opened her first dance school at the age of six. Neighboring children acted as students there. Of course, it was just a child’s game. But by the age of 10, she and her sister had really earned something by teaching dance. Dora Angela spoke of a new dance system, which, of course, simply did not exist at that time. The girl simply taught children beautiful movements that she herself invented spontaneously. Be that as it may, this was already the first steps towards creating a new author's style of dance.
Choosing a Life Path
This is not to say that studying at a comprehensive school was difficult for Dora Angela. Quite the contrary - she was just frankly bored. She often ran away from school and spent hours wandering along the seashore, listening to the unhurried rumble of the elements and watching the waves rolling on the shore.
At the age of thirteen, the young student decided that it was enough to burn time on the student's bench, and left school. She decided to devote her life to undivided music and dance. A great success for a teenage girl without money and patronage was the consent of the dancer Maria Louis Fuller to take her as a student.
Chasing Glory
After studying for several years, the talented but impatient Dora Angela sets off to conquer Chicago, taking her mother and brother with her. At this time, she takes her stage name Duncan Isadora. But Chicago was in no hurry to fall at the feet of the new-fashioned dancer, although her performances had some success. But she was completely submissive to a very specific lover of fine arts in the person of 45-year-old Ivan Mirotsky, an unemployed emigrant from Poland.
If you recall that Isadore had not yet turned 17 at that time, it is easy to imagine how strange and not quite natural the look of this couple was. Her relatives were not enthusiastic about such a party, but they didn’t repair any serious obstacles. And Isadore did not give a damn about public opinion.
Cheating groom
The novel of Isadora and Mirotsky lasted a year and a half. It was a period of true courtship in the spirit of that era. The maximum that a couple in love allowed themselves is kisses during joint walks.
Finally, a wedding day was set and preparations for the celebration began. Perhaps a completely different Isadora Duncan would have appeared in history - the wife and venerable mother of the family. But this did not happen, because Mirotsky kept a terrible secret - he was already married, and his legal wife lived in London. Shortly before the wedding, her brother finds out about this, and the engagement is canceled.
Cheeky decisions
Isadora did not suffer from a failed marriage, but went to speak in New York. Here she achieved some success. Her improvised dances were delighted to be admired in high-salons. But Duncan understood that it was necessary to move forward.
And then she went around the wives of the local rich and, under various pretexts, begged them a total of several hundred dollars. This money was enough to buy a place to travel for myself, mother, brother and sister to London. True, I had to go in a hold intended for transporting cattle, but neither Isadora, nor her family were spoiled by excesses in life, and therefore they transferred this journey quite tolerably.
Upon arriving in London, she goes straight to one of the most expensive hotels, pushes the night porter and tells him that they are just off the train and will bring their luggage soon. She orders a room and breakfast, and in the morning they as a whole family quietly slip out of the hotel, since all the funds were spent on moving.
Life is getting better
This was not the last adventure, turned out by a thirsty recognition as a dancer. Isadora Duncan's life is full of witty and extravagant decisions. She, without a twinge of conscience, used the surrounding people to her advantage. This was especially true for men. Isadora systematically honed her art of seduction and, when the opportunity arose, applied it to enthusiastic fans.
But first of all, Duncan was still an artist. She strove to recognize her talent and realized that she could not do without help. And this help came in the form of the then-popular actress Campbell, who believed in the promise of fresh style and made Isadora a loud debut as an “exotic dancer” at one of the social events.
Isadora Duncan and Yesenin
In 1921, Duncan received an official invitation to open a dance school in Moscow. She gladly received it and with faith in a happy future - her own and this great country, striving for change, went to Russia.
Once, at the reception, which was arranged in the house of Duncan, Sergei Yesenin came. So two bright and extraordinary personalities met, who immediately rushed to each other with all the ardor and spontaneity of their characters.
Marriage bond
Isadora Duncan and Yesenin quickly became the subject of gossip in the capital and even beyond. They were very different, did not know each other's language, but nevertheless continued to meet. They were not stopped by either a significant age difference, or the inability to just chat without an interpreter.
For the first time in many years, she decided to tie the knot of official marriage with the freedom-loving Isadora Duncan. Yesenin, drunk with the glory of the chosen one, considered this step quite natural.
Marriage difficulties
The idyll of two representatives of bohemia did not last long. It is believed that Sergei was jealous of the popularity of his wife. He was ambitious and wanted to be the center of attention himself.
When the first passion passed, he began to notice more and more on the spouse's appearance the prints left by his years. Yesenin behaved very rudely with his wife. Isadora Duncan listened to a lot of unjust and baseless abuse. Whose wife suffered as many reproaches? Perhaps, to some extent, she was protected by the fact that she simply did not understand Russian speech. But Yesenin began to allow himself to beat his wife. And it was simply impossible not to understand this appeal.
Divorce was only a matter of time. But even after that, Duncan Isadora, true to herself, retained warm feelings for Yesenin. She never allowed herself to say something bad or disrespectful to the poet.
Fateful ride
In 1927, Duncan Isadora was in Nice. She was very fond of fast driving and often went for walks in an open car. And on this sunny autumn day, she decided to take a ride, as usual. Having tied a beautiful scarf around her neck and effectively casting it behind her back, she got into the car, said goodbye to friends and ordered the driver to touch. They did not have time to travel far. The end of the scarf fell into the wheel spokes, got tangled in them and broke the woman’s neck. So inevitable death overtook her. Isadora Duncan lived swiftly and ended her life in a deafening chord, the last time declaring herself loudly.