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Isadora Duncan in ItalyApril 13-September 22Villa Bardini Museo Bardini, Florence

Lori Belilove reviews, reports, reflects...

Florence, Italy. I flew from NYC via London toFlorence and arrived in time to catch theevening hours at the Palazzo Pitti, where I wentcrazy taking photos of the beautiful art workeverywhere … all my dancing barefoot sisterswere there - almost coming to life!

We met there and toured the entireexhibition followed by one of thoselong European lunches with hercolleagues. There, I learned thebackground stories around theexhibition.

I understand the initial inspiration forthe exhibition was on the theme of the“dancing (nymph) woman," whereIsadora was the “informedprotagonist” in the rediscovery of thefemale body influencing movementand the arts celebrating the“expressive” body (according to thepress release), but there was noexplanation of this in the materialspresented. The common thread in allof the works on view was theirreflection Duncan's extensiveconnections to Italy.

First thing the next day I made my wayto the Museo Stefano Bardini at theVilla Bardini where the exhibition ishoused. The grand gardenstransported me and climbing the hillsto the villa refreshed my traveling legs.

I was initially invited to be a part ofthe exhibition after conversations withthe extra-ordinary Italian dancehistorian and Duncan researcherPatrizia Veroli, who was referred by mydear friend and colleague, LynnBrooks, former chair of dance atFranklin and Marshall College. Patriziawas one of the main collaborators forthe exhibition along with Maria FloraGiubilei and Carlo Sisi with primaryfunding by Foundazione CR Firenze.

For myself, I will re-name the exhibition: “Spirit of Woman: An Homage to IsadoraDuncan". There were certainly pieces of Isadora - plus photos and memorabiliaincluding books and programs, but many of the pieces were of unidentifiedwomen dancing in tunics or in the nude. I was not disappointed, though.

Immediately I found the stunningpainting by Plinio Nomellini of youngIsadora with a red scarf playing by theseashore. It turns out the painting wasone large piece with the waterextending to her right, but was latercut into two paintings. Both pieceswere exhibited side by side. Yes,Isadora loved the sea!

On my return visit, I noticed otherstaking in the exhibition. Going fromroom to room, I observed many youngwomen (dancers?), as they wanderedthroughout – their minds and heartscurious about Isadora’s spirit, and Ithink a bit astonished at just howmodern Isadora feels. I was remindedof myself, young and thirsty for theessence of this woman. I almost livedat the museums and sites in Greece somany years ago – in particular theArcheological Museum in Athens.Isadora can touch us deeply.

Each room was devoted to an aspect of Isadora’s life – lovers and friendships –the children, and her many followers - primarily by Italian artists, but notexclusively.

There was the Gordon Craig room, theEleanor Duse room, and the Paris Singerroom with the children. There was a roomwith a stunning self-portrait of RomanoRomanelli (image on the right), thesculptor and father of her third child.

Alternately, artists rendered many piecesthat captured the rounded “Isadorianrecumbent earth-bound figure in lament."One favorite of mine (hardly done justice inthe catalog) was quintessential Isadora/quintessential woman by Dario Viterbo.She was outstretched like a puddle of awoman, kneeling with her chest on thefloor in supplication of life itself (imagebelow on left). I loved it!

For the outstanding (and new to me) sculpture by Leonardo Bistolfi (imageabove on right), I gave the title “Love,” which drew heavily from Bourdelle’sdrawings of Isadora and reminded me of her Brahms dance suite, “The ManyFaces of Love”. In touring the exhibition with Patrizia and friends, I commentedthat Isadora’s primary, recurring message was LOVE. They smiled knowingly.

Sweet photos covered some roomswall-to-wall, giving a toweringpresence of Isadora. Very effective.Isadora, blown-up and bigger thanlife, was a very effective aspect of theshow – she was large and allencompassing over the exhibit tablesof her own memorabilia. I was happyto be observed by her.

Every room offered sculptures andfigurines, notably the famous “dancingTanagra” that was said to have beenbeside Isadora's night table. I was ableto identify many dances from herrepertory that have been passeddown through generations of DuncanDancers that I perform with mycompany today.

One dance, Les Funerailles (music by Lizst), was captured in photography andsculpture. Uncanny for its similarity, see the sculpture, below, by Libero Andreottiand the 20X24 polaroid photo of me taken by marvelous American dancephotographer Margaretta K. Mitchell.

Spinning and circling is a trademark of Duncan dancing. I was struck by thepainting of the satyr and long-haired woman in red spinning and easily

compared it to the wonderful photograph of the Beliloveables (MorganaCragnotti and Samantha Vicens) from a performance at the Lyndhurst Gardensin Westchester, NY. Enjoy.

And how was Isadora perceived when she first came upon the scene,performing in the gardens and salons of Europe? The photo of the men,enlarged on the wall of the main room, was striking to me for how it really wasthen - looking at their faces we get a whole story of her unabashed statement offemale freedom and the guts to present herself whole-heartedly, no matter whatpeople thought.

As for the video component of theexhibition, I understood the preliminaryplan was to have 3 stations set upthroughout the various rooms – oneentirely devoted to the award-winningdocumentary Isadora Duncan: Isadora Duncan:Mov em ent From the SoulMov em ent From the Soul , and twoothers covering the moving image ofdance from the era. Funding for it wascut so the plan shifted.

In its place, was one room dedicatedto a video installation curated bydance historian Veroli and featuringyours truly Lori Belilove performingNarcissus, Blue Danube, and Dance ofthe Furies - all excerpts from mydocumentary, Isadora Duncan:Movement from the Soul - andincluded fabulous footage from the1905 Serpentine Dance (Loïe Fuller);1914 -1926 Hexentanz (Mary Wigman);1929 Heretic (Martha Graham); 1930Baccanale, Tannhaüser (Rudolf Labanand Kurt Jooss), among others. I felt Iwas in fine company.

The video installation may be viewed upon request to info@isadoraduncan.org.

My Italy experience also including visits to the major museums in Florence aMadonna image (Botticelli). When I walked by this painting, I had a flash of thewonderful photo of Isadora with her children; coupling these two imagestogether sums up Italy and Isadora for me.

Overall, the collection was so rich. I want to go back every day to see mybarefoot dancing sisters in this extraordinary collection of the dancing femaleand the era of "Isadoraian" inspired movement. In fact, this exhibition, more thanany I've seen, documents the explosion of freedom in movement that Isadorapioneered.

The Isadora Duncan Foundation is appropriately credited in the immensecatalog, which can be found on Amazon, and if you don’t venture to Italy, seewww.villabardini.it.

In summation, I asked Veroli her finale assessment of the exhibition. “Whateverthe black points - this exhibition is a miracle. Italy is not a place for dance. It ismore open to opera and music. In my opinion, dance is now in a period ofdecay and this exhibition is a MIRACLE!”

- Lori Belilove

(Please excuse any discontinuity for portable dev ices)

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