Liberating the Natural Movement: Dance and Dress Reform in the Self-Expression of Isadora Duncan (1877-1927)

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 article 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