Isadorables
Encyclopedia
The Isadorables as named by a French Poet, Fernand Divoire, in 1909, was a group of six young girls who danced under the instruction of Isadora Duncan
. Their names were Anna Denzler, Maria-Theresa Kruger, Irma Erich-Grimme, Elizabeth (Lisa) Milker, Margot (Gretel) Jehl, and Erica (Erika) Lohmann, but they were later given the Duncan last name when adopted by Isadora herself. The girls were mostly German and danced in Modern Dance
era (they were known as Barefoot [or] Aesthetic Dancers), between 1905 and 1920. They danced first in Duncan's established schools, followed by a career with Duncan herself. Later, they separated from Duncan and danced alone as a group, before the group itself splintered.
, Germany
and was a place for young children of every culture wanting to learn to dance.
Duncan believed that her teaching and educating should start with the child (3). “Let us first teach little children to breathe, to vibrate, to feel, and to become one with the general harmony and movement. Let us first produce a beautiful human being.” (4) She took in young children, most of whom, reflecting Duncan’s personal history, came from disadvantaged backgrounds, where mothers were the primary breadwinners, and the fathers were either ill or absent. The school provided rooms for the students, so the students could live with Duncan at all times. Though she had originally furnished the building with rooms for 40 students, the School existed 3 years, but never housed more than 20 students. The school had a rigorous schedule. Dance was only one of the subjects taught, and then only twice a week. The curriculum included four hours general school work each morning, taught by state-certified teachers. The subjects were History, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, Drawing, Singing, Languages, and Music. (1)
Mabel Dodge, who owned a salon at 23 Fifth Avenue, the point of rendezvous for the whole of New York’s avant garde, describes the girls: “They were lovely, with bodies like cream and rose, and faces unreal with beauty whose eyes were like blind statues, as though they had never looked upon anything in any way sordid of ordinary” (9).
and falling in love, this started a rift between the students and teacher. Each girl, except for Gretel (Margot), fell in love and did not wish to leave New York despite Isadora’s incessant urging. Aided by Augistine Duncan, Isadora’s brother, he arranged for the Isadorables to perform as a group at the Liberty Theatre. “It was [our] success as a group” Theresa wrote, “without Isadora for the first time… that gave us the opportunity to find our own strength as soloists and individual artists.” The girls performed until Isadora found out and forbid them from continuing, but legal contract that held her students to her words. They had no choice but to cancel their time at the Liberty.
In 1920, after returning to France, the girls finally realized that their contracts no longer held substance, so they tore them up and threw them away. The girls arrived in Greece in August 1920 with Isadora and by the end of September, they had all fallen ill. In January 1921 only 4 of the Isadorables joined Isadora in France, at the Camps-Elysées. Irma, Theresa, Lisa, and Margot were left doing nothing in Paris
because Isadora refused to have them perform and only let them do so if they gave her a third of their fees. Upon Isadora’s return, in May 1921, she brought news of starting a school in Russia, only Irma was willing to accompany her. While Isadora toured and performed, Irma took the teaching position at the school.
“The little girls of the early blue-and-white stage have grown up into miniature Isadora Duncans… They are known only by their Christian names. Anna, the eldest, is actively concerned with the affairs of the worlds around her. Theresa and Irma come next, an impulsive and spirited pair. Liesel [Lisa] is long-haired and long-legged, physically the best dancer of any of them. (2)
Gretel is a thoughtful child, filled with a sense of her dignity and somewhat mystified with the American manner of doing things. Erica, being the youngest, is also the most serious. She has recently had her hair bobbed, but not quite so short as Isadora Duncan’s. One must be conservative in such matters” (2)
Anna Denzler, born Switzerland, 1894, died New York, 1982
“pretty and dark-haired with round rosy cheeks and small chocolate-brown eyes”
Theresa Kruger, born Dresden, 1895, died New York, 1987
“blue eyes, blond hair, and a lot of freckles on her tiny nose”
Irma Erich-Grimme born Hamburg, 1897, died California, 1977
Elizabeth (Lisa) Milker born Dresden, 1898, died 1976
“with pretty golden curls and the large brown eyes of a startled dear”
Margot (Gretel) Jehle born Berlin, 1900, died Paris, 1925
“with violet eyes, ash-blond hair and the delicate look of a Dresden China-Doll”
Erika Lohmann born Hanburg, 1901, died Connecticut 1984
“dark-eyed Erika, who at four years of age was the youngest in the school”
(6)&(7)
Maria-Theresa was the first to become an independent soloist in 1922, with four New York City concerts. By then, she had married Stephan Bourgeois, an art dealer, and founded her company, the Heliconiades.(11)
Anna was on the faculty at the Eastman School of Music and subsequently taught at Carnegie Hall, beginning in 1926. Irma arrived in 1928 with the Moscow pupils on a Hurok-sponsored tour and, after their return to Russia, toured with Americans trained by Anna. (11)
Like their mentor, the Isadorables lived full lives. Louis Jouvet, the famed French actor and director, was Lisa's companion and acted as her lighting designer. Anna was involved with Walter Rummel, the musician who had been Isadora's admirer. In New York, she taught and acted in films. Irma later married an American (Sherman Rogers) and taught and performed with her dancers. Erica (Erika, the only Isadorable not to continue a dancing career), Ms. Bardsley says, became a painter. (11)
On September 13, 1988, the active disciples of the Isadorables, who together formed the Duncan Council, scheduled an event to honor Maria-Theresa Duncan. The event was conceived by one of Theresa’s own pupils, who directed the Isadora Duncan International Institute.
(11)http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/arts/dance-view-the-isadorables-cherishing-the-duncan-legacy.html
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
. Their names were Anna Denzler, Maria-Theresa Kruger, Irma Erich-Grimme, Elizabeth (Lisa) Milker, Margot (Gretel) Jehl, and Erica (Erika) Lohmann, but they were later given the Duncan last name when adopted by Isadora herself. The girls were mostly German and danced in Modern Dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
era (they were known as Barefoot [or] Aesthetic Dancers), between 1905 and 1920. They danced first in Duncan's established schools, followed by a career with Duncan herself. Later, they separated from Duncan and danced alone as a group, before the group itself splintered.
First School
Before the Isadorables earned their name, they were dancers taken in by Duncan, where they were taught first at The Isadora Duncan School of Dance. The School was located in GrunewaldGrunewald
Grunewald is a locality within the Berliner borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Famous for the homonymous forest, until 2001 administrative reform it was part of the former district of Wilmersdorf.-Geography:The locality is situated in the western side of the city and is separated from...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was a place for young children of every culture wanting to learn to dance.
Duncan believed that her teaching and educating should start with the child (3). “Let us first teach little children to breathe, to vibrate, to feel, and to become one with the general harmony and movement. Let us first produce a beautiful human being.” (4) She took in young children, most of whom, reflecting Duncan’s personal history, came from disadvantaged backgrounds, where mothers were the primary breadwinners, and the fathers were either ill or absent. The school provided rooms for the students, so the students could live with Duncan at all times. Though she had originally furnished the building with rooms for 40 students, the School existed 3 years, but never housed more than 20 students. The school had a rigorous schedule. Dance was only one of the subjects taught, and then only twice a week. The curriculum included four hours general school work each morning, taught by state-certified teachers. The subjects were History, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, Drawing, Singing, Languages, and Music. (1)
Duncan and the School
“Isadora was away on tour most of the time, dancing to support her dependents” (1) so dance was taught by her sister, Elizabeth Duncan, who seemed to be the very opposite in nature to Isadora’s free spirited and light personality; she was very organized and strict. So at sporadic returns of Isadora the children rejoiced. The school motto was a quote from Keats “Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty, -that is all, Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know” and Isadora demanded that each child commit it to memory, in English.The Isadorables, Named
The story of the Isadorables begins with the six most talented girls chosen from this school. These were the students closest to Duncan and who had the most opportunity to spend time with and perform with her. The girls' first performance was on July 20, 1905 and they performed over 70 times between 1905 and 1909 in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, Finland, England, and France. These six of Isadora’s most talented students were named Anna, Theresa, Irma, Lisa, Gretel (Margot), and Erika. In 1909, a French poet, Fernand Divoire, adoringly dubbed the six girls “the Isadorables” after seeing them perform.Relocations and Reactions
In 1912 Isadora acquires the Hôtel Paillard in Bellevue, Paris. This became Dionysion, Isadora’s new temple of dance (1); the name stemming from Dionysian, which hints toward Isadora’s “Greek” undertones in her dances. At the start of World War 1, the Isadorables were sent to New York with the rest of the new students from Bellevue, in Paris. In November 1914, they took up a studio at 311 Fourth Avenue, on the corner of 23rd street, the new location of Dionysion (1). Their arrival was met by criticism from the press and public that already regarded “classic” dancing as a relic of the past. The Isadorables made their American debut on December 7, 1914 at Carnegie Hall with the New York Symphony. Henrietta Rodman in a feature for the New York Tribune as much as stated that the most revolutionary of dancers [Isadora Duncan] had lost touch with the times (1). She was struck by the Isadorables’ unthinking devotion to their teacher’s ideals. “The one weakness of their education was their lack of contact with the harsh and ugly realities of our present day life. It is Isadora’s theory that children should move always in a world of “sweetness and light.” (8)Mabel Dodge, who owned a salon at 23 Fifth Avenue, the point of rendezvous for the whole of New York’s avant garde, describes the girls: “They were lovely, with bodies like cream and rose, and faces unreal with beauty whose eyes were like blind statues, as though they had never looked upon anything in any way sordid of ordinary” (9).
First Separation From Isadora
Following eviction from the Century by the New York Fire Department on April 23, 1915, (their season at the Century lasted a month) Isadora left America to return to Europe on May 9. During the voyage Isadora discovered that their manager, Frederick Toye, had arranged for a tour for the Isadorables without Isadora. She was so upset that she stopped speaking to her students, despite the man’s actions being completely out of their control. The girls, then, would not travel with her to Greece at the expense of their safety during the time of war. They moved to set up school in Switzerland instead. After struggling to keep afloat there, finally the school was dispelled and the younger students sent home to their families. But the Isadorables embarked on a dancing tour of Switzerland.Being Dubbed “Duncan,” and Separating from Isadora
In 1917 Isadora authorized all six girls to take her surname, for professional purposes. It was done legally though New York courts. In 1917 they found themselves in Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and falling in love, this started a rift between the students and teacher. Each girl, except for Gretel (Margot), fell in love and did not wish to leave New York despite Isadora’s incessant urging. Aided by Augistine Duncan, Isadora’s brother, he arranged for the Isadorables to perform as a group at the Liberty Theatre. “It was [our] success as a group” Theresa wrote, “without Isadora for the first time… that gave us the opportunity to find our own strength as soloists and individual artists.” The girls performed until Isadora found out and forbid them from continuing, but legal contract that held her students to her words. They had no choice but to cancel their time at the Liberty.
In 1920, after returning to France, the girls finally realized that their contracts no longer held substance, so they tore them up and threw them away. The girls arrived in Greece in August 1920 with Isadora and by the end of September, they had all fallen ill. In January 1921 only 4 of the Isadorables joined Isadora in France, at the Camps-Elysées. Irma, Theresa, Lisa, and Margot were left doing nothing in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
because Isadora refused to have them perform and only let them do so if they gave her a third of their fees. Upon Isadora’s return, in May 1921, she brought news of starting a school in Russia, only Irma was willing to accompany her. While Isadora toured and performed, Irma took the teaching position at the school.
The Girls
“Six girls to have been the chosen ones, to have stood on the same stage with Her, performing Her dances and bringing joy and solace to so many… to have had the wonderful and privileged experience of a life and great adventure with Her… this wonderful woman and creative artist… our Maestra” (5)“The little girls of the early blue-and-white stage have grown up into miniature Isadora Duncans… They are known only by their Christian names. Anna, the eldest, is actively concerned with the affairs of the worlds around her. Theresa and Irma come next, an impulsive and spirited pair. Liesel [Lisa] is long-haired and long-legged, physically the best dancer of any of them. (2)
Gretel is a thoughtful child, filled with a sense of her dignity and somewhat mystified with the American manner of doing things. Erica, being the youngest, is also the most serious. She has recently had her hair bobbed, but not quite so short as Isadora Duncan’s. One must be conservative in such matters” (2)
Anna Denzler, born Switzerland, 1894, died New York, 1982
“pretty and dark-haired with round rosy cheeks and small chocolate-brown eyes”
Theresa Kruger, born Dresden, 1895, died New York, 1987
“blue eyes, blond hair, and a lot of freckles on her tiny nose”
Irma Erich-Grimme born Hamburg, 1897, died California, 1977
Elizabeth (Lisa) Milker born Dresden, 1898, died 1976
“with pretty golden curls and the large brown eyes of a startled dear”
Margot (Gretel) Jehle born Berlin, 1900, died Paris, 1925
“with violet eyes, ash-blond hair and the delicate look of a Dresden China-Doll”
Erika Lohmann born Hanburg, 1901, died Connecticut 1984
“dark-eyed Erika, who at four years of age was the youngest in the school”
(6)&(7)
After Separating From Isadora
After leaving Isadora Duncan the girls stayed together for some time. During World War I, they entertained troops in the United States. In 1919, they toured 60 cities under Sol Hurok's management. (11)Maria-Theresa was the first to become an independent soloist in 1922, with four New York City concerts. By then, she had married Stephan Bourgeois, an art dealer, and founded her company, the Heliconiades.(11)
Anna was on the faculty at the Eastman School of Music and subsequently taught at Carnegie Hall, beginning in 1926. Irma arrived in 1928 with the Moscow pupils on a Hurok-sponsored tour and, after their return to Russia, toured with Americans trained by Anna. (11)
Like their mentor, the Isadorables lived full lives. Louis Jouvet, the famed French actor and director, was Lisa's companion and acted as her lighting designer. Anna was involved with Walter Rummel, the musician who had been Isadora's admirer. In New York, she taught and acted in films. Irma later married an American (Sherman Rogers) and taught and performed with her dancers. Erica (Erika, the only Isadorable not to continue a dancing career), Ms. Bardsley says, became a painter. (11)
The Isadorables in the News
On Sunday, September 11, 1988, on section 2 page 24 of the New York edition a version of this( DANCE VIEW; The Isadorables: Cherishing the Duncan Legacy ) article appeared in the New York Times.On September 13, 1988, the active disciples of the Isadorables, who together formed the Duncan Council, scheduled an event to honor Maria-Theresa Duncan. The event was conceived by one of Theresa’s own pupils, who directed the Isadora Duncan International Institute.
- The article gives information about Isadora Duncan, her sister Elizabeth Duncan, and most importantly it focuses on the Isadorables as both a group and separate dancers.
External links
(10)http://www.udel.edu/museums/past/walkowitz/pages/05.html(11)http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/arts/dance-view-the-isadorables-cherishing-the-duncan-legacy.html