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A Dance By

Isadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora Duncan

As taught by

Sylvia Gold

PattAdams

OrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleWritten in Sutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWriting®

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Publishedby

The Center For Sutton Movement Writing, Inc.A non-profit, tax-exempt 501 c 3 educational organization.P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA. • 92038-0517 • USAVoice: 858-456-0098 • TTY: 858-456-0010 • Fax: 858-456-0020Email: Sutton@DanceWriting.org • Web: www.DanceWriting.org

A Dance By

Isadora Duncan

OrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleAs Taught

bySylvia Gold

aDanceWriting® Sheet Dance

ISBN: 0-914336-49-5

Copyright © 2000 byThe Center For Sutton Movement Writing, Inc.

All Rights ReservedPan American and Universal Copyrights Secured

Written inSutton DanceWriting®

by Alison Kincaid

Photos ofPatt Adams

Photography byDonald Malpass

Layout & Design byValerie Sutton

DanceWriting was first inventedby Valerie Sutton in 1972.

This Dance Is Posted On The WebCome visit the DanceWritingSite at

http://www.DanceWriting.org

DanceWriting® and SignWriting® are registered trademarksof The Center for Sut ton Movement Wri t ing , Inc .DanceWriting is one of five sections of Sutton MovementWriting, a complete system for recording all body movement.

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OrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleOrientaleWritten in

Sutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWritingSutton DanceWriting®

by

Alison KincaidAlison KincaidAlison KincaidAlison KincaidAlison Kincaid

Posted on the

DanceWriting Web Site:http://www.DanceWriting.org

A Dance By

Isadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora DuncanIsadora DuncanFrom

The Isadora DuncanChopin Collection

A Chopin DanceChoreographed by Isadora Duncan

Reconstructed by Hortense Kooluris

To the music of Frederic ChopinMazurka Opus 68 No.2

Performed & Taughtby

Sylvia GoldSylvia GoldSylvia GoldSylvia GoldSylvia GoldDuncan Dancer & Teacher

A Former Student of Irma Duncan

Photography by

Donald MalpassDonald MalpassDonald MalpassDonald MalpassDonald MalpassBook & Web Design

Valerie SuttonValerie SuttonValerie SuttonValerie SuttonValerie SuttonPhotographs of

Patt AdamsPatt AdamsPatt AdamsPatt AdamsPatt Adams

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About the AuthorAbout the AuthorAbout the AuthorAbout the AuthorAbout the Author

Sylvia Gold (Nee Rubinstein) was born in New York City in 1923, four years before Isadora met hertragic and dramatic death. Her parents had seen Isadora dance, and like many others, were veryimpressed. Sylvia loved to dance freely to music at a very young age. Her parents recognized hertalents and at the age of five she was enrolled in the Denishawn School, taught by Ruth St.Denis. The emphasis was on the Eurhythmics method of Jacques Dalcroze.

Sylvia then enrolled in the studio of Isadora’s sister, Elizabeth Duncan, where she began hertraining with Elizabeth and Anita Zahn, a teacher of the Duncan dance. Soon after, Irma Duncancame to the United States and opened the “Isadora Duncan Studios” at Carnegie Hall in New YorkCity. The then seven year old Sylvia was auditioned by Irma and her parents received a note thathad a profound effect on Sylvia’s life. “Miss Duncan is extremely anxious to have Sylvia return.She considers her exceptionally talented.”

Sylvia studied and performed with Irma for the next seven years. In addition to many studioperformances, there was also a gala performance in 1934 at Madison Square Garden in whichIrma fulfilled a dream of Isadora’s, choreographing a dance pageant to the chorale movement

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of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The NewYork Phiharmonic was conducted by WalterDamrosch who had often performed withIsadora. Sylvia was one of Irma’s students par-ticipating in this unusual concert.

Irma Duncan left New York permanently in1937 and this temporarily diverted Sylvia’sdance career. Sylvia entered the High Schoolof Music and Art, majoring in music and in1944 received her Bachelor’s Degree in MusicEducation from New York University.

Through all the activities of marriage andmotherhood, Sylvia maintained her love ofthe Duncan Dance. During the post World WarII period, Duncan dancing was effectivelyeclipsed by the modern dance movement,typified by Martha Graham and DorisHumphrey. During this period, Sylvia stud-ied various modern dance techniques andlater, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, turned to herearly Duncan training to teach in the Bostonarea.

Isadora had prophecized that her art wouldfirst die out but would eventually be revived.In 1977, Sylvia began to commute to NewYork City to work with Hortense Kooluris,Gemze de Lappe and Julia Levien and thefour of them, all students of Irma Duncan,performed as soloists along with a companyof younger dancers in a complete program ofIsadora Duncan choreography at RiversideChurch in New York. Earlier, AnnabelleGamson, Sylvia’s sister-in-law, who studiedDuncan with Julia Levien, startled the danceworld by performing Duncan dances to anecstatic audience and raving reviews. Isadora’sprophecy was true: 50 years after her deathher work was again popular.

DanceWritingDanceWritingDanceWritingDanceWritingDanceWriting® Sheet DanceSheet DanceSheet DanceSheet DanceSheet DanceCenter For Sutton Movement Writing, Inc.

P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA. • 92038-0517 • USAVoice: 858-456-0098 • Fax: 858-456-0020

www.DanceWriting.org • Sutton@DanceWriting.org

Sylvia Gold