The New York Times
Monday, January 27, 2002

The Life and Art of the Woman Who Put the Modern in Modern Dance
By JACK ANDERSON

The life and art of Isadora Duncan never cease to cast a spell on dance lovers. Duncan, who died in 1927, is the choreographic liberator who rejected rigid traditional dance forms to become the founder of what is now known as modern dance. She was also a visionary, a political revolutionary and an outspoken feminist. Her life was tumultuous, and some of her love affairs were messy. No wonder she continues to fascinate.

Duncan seems as bewitching as ever in “Isadora . . . no apologies,” the dance-theater piece that opened on Wednesday night at the Duke on 42nd Street, where it will continue through Feb. 3. Conceived by Lori Belilove, written and directed by Andrew Frank and produced and developed by Fran Kirmser, it offers episodes based on incidents in Duncan's life, as well as a generous sampling of her choreography, which was meticulously preserved by her disciples after her death.

Two performers portray Duncan. Through her dancing Ms. Belilove, a Duncan authority, makes this great choreography seem eternally fresh. Hope Garland plays Duncan in the dramatic scenes, speaking her heartfelt words with conviction. Daryl Boling is cast in a variety of parts, including Duncan's lovers. He was always an appealingly eager stage presence, although he occasionally looked too boyish for some of the mature roles.

Other actors and dancers in the cast include Cherlyn Smith, Beth Disharoon, Michelle Concha, Julia Pond and a group of young dancers called the Beliloveables, whose name not only refers to Ms. Belilove, their director, but also offers a punning tribute to Duncan's own ensemble, the Isadorables. The voices of still other performers are heard on tape in minor roles. The production provides useful biographical information. But Ms. Belilove's solos are the special features of “Isadora.” She captures the ebb and flow of the movements Duncan created. Based on actions like walking and skipping, they look simple yet are rich in emotional shadings.

On opening night a few of Ms. Belilove's early sequences appeared tentative. But as the evening progressed, her passion increased. Her surges of movement in the “Blue Danube” waltz were irresistibly joyous. Her “Dance of the Furies” grew ever wilder. In “Les Funerailles,” she turned wide stretches of her arms into gestural equivalents of tragic cries of woe. And in “Revolutionary’ her struggles to stand symbolized attempts to cast off shackles.

Duncan cast off many social and artistic shackles during her life, and “Isadora... no apologies” gives glimpses of how she went about it.