Last week Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 – September 14, 1927) would have celebrated her 138th birthday. Two of my dance colleagues forward the following rememberance of Isadora, from Mary Fanton Roberts:

“I recall one memorable time when a little party of us were together at a studio luncheon in New York, and both Isadora and Nijinsky were there. After the table had been cleared away, some one played the piano. I cannot recall who it was, but it was one of the great men playing divinely.

And Isadora and Nijinsky danced together — Isadora creating the dance as the music flowed from the piano, and Nijinksy dancing with her as though he had rehearsed each entirely new measure for weeks. It was an amazing performance — Isadora’s extraordinary power of instantaneous creation and Nijinksy’s sensitive response to her mood and to the music.”

Here is the link to the only known authentic clip of Isadora dancing.