For a long time, dance scholars and the public were hardly aware that modern dance existed in Russia. This book, however, delves into its presence, significance and survival in the late Tsarist and Soviet era, showing the large and significant positive contribution this made to the history of modern dance.
A creation of liberal body politics, ‘free’ or ‘modern’ dance flourished in late Imperial Russia and the early Soviet Union, before the hardening of communist regimes. An ideal embodiment of emancipation, free dance attracted dancers and audiences, including a significant number of modernist artists and intellectuals.
This book looks in particular at Isadora Duncan and her impact on Stanislavsky's methods, as well as on the ballet choreographer Michel Fokine. It throws light on Duncan’s Moscow School, biomechanics and many modern dance studios of the time, their role in creating new systems of training – different from ballet – and their creation of a modern dance 'body'.
We come to see free dance into the years of Stalin's Cultural Revolution, where choreographers had to adapt to the new ideological environment – a far cry from the previous freedom of modern dance.
By:
Irina Sirotkina (National Research University Higher School of Economics Russia)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350567191
ISBN 10: 1350567191
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 19 March 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Chapter 1: What is free dance? Hypnotic dancer vs the dancing self Liberated body, class body Centre and flow Effort and relaxation Chapter 2: Free dance travels east Artful simplicity: Duncan and Stanislavsky Impressionism in dance: Duncan and Fokine The music issue > Eurhythmics > Musical Movement > A reflex to music On the way to a New Woman: The Moscow Duncan School Chapter 3: Studios of free dance Danse plastique > Ella Rabenek: Classes of Plastique > Francesca Beata: Studio of Plastique > Klavdia Isachenko: School of Plastique and Expression > Zinaida Verbova: Studio of the Plastique Movement > Inna Bystrenina: The Ballet Plastique > Srboui Lisitsian: The Institute of Rhythm and Plastique > The Proletkult’s plastique The Art of Movement > Lyudmila Alekseyeva: The Art of Movement and Artistic Gymnastics > Alexander Rumnev: The Search in Dance > Valeria Tsvetaeva: The Art of Movement School > Bronislava Nijinska: The School of Movement Dance Theatre > Inna Chernetskaya: The Studio of Synthetic Dance > The Vera Maya Dance Theatre > Lev Lukin: The Free Ballet > Nina Gremina: The Dramballet > Kasyan Goleizovsky: The Chamber Ballet > Nikolai Poznyakov: The Island of Dance Chapter 4: Rationalising movement (De)mystifying dance: Prof-Sid > Choreology or kinemology? > Recording and displaying movement From Dance of the Future to Futurist Dance Machine dances and biomechanics Scientific organisation of work and dance The Soviet Girls Chapter 5: From dance to sport Choreographing the masses Taming plyaska Partying to the Party instructions > Wulf, the Soviet Entertainer The Sokol and Artistic Gymnastics Theatre of Physical Culture Conclusions Bibliography Index
Irina Sirotkina holds her PhD from Manchester and was awarded Honorary Professorship by Durham University. She is a dance scholar and a practitioner of early modern dance.
