Dance Visions NY in Great Neck presents The Divine Flame: the life, times, inspiration and dance of Isadora Duncan on Jan. 17 in the Jericho Library Auditorium and on Jan. 24 at the Long Beach Public Library Auditorium.
The Divine Flame is a multi-disciplinary program about the life, times, inspirations and dance of Isadora Duncan, a divine flame and magnificent dancer who changed the direction of her entire art. Known as the mother of modern dance, this program explores how the originality of her art characterized her triumphant and tragic life through her story, her dances and music to create a fascinating theatre piece.
The program features actress and television personality Shirley Romaine, who will narrate as dancers perform authentic Duncan dances to the music of Chopin, Schubert, Brahms, Gluck and Scriabin. The dancers featured in this program are Duncan dancers Beth Jucovy and Adrienne Ramm, sisters, who have been immersed in the Duncan tradition since childhood. Their life-time teachers included Anna Duncan, Julia Levien and Hortense Kooluris. Dancers Louisa Armstrong and Vanessa Ferranti, as well as teen dancers, all trained in the Duncan aesthetic by Jucovy, round out the program.
Accompanying musicians are pianist Mark Fiedler, soprano Patti Dunham and Flutists Herbert Waldren, (on Jan. 17) and Bernard Rose (on Jan. 24). The program incorporates slides of Isadora and the art that inspired her. The Divine Flame was presented from 1995-2001 to wonderful reception throughout the Metropolitan area and in 2009 for the Hofstra Museum of Dance. Dance Visions NY is reviving this acclaimed program.
According to Mary Jane Bolin, former executive administrator of the Arts in Education program at Nassau BOCES, “…what a true pleasure to see dancers perform with such grace and beauty…several were moved to tears by the performance. In addition, the wonderful narration by Shirley Romaine helped to reveal much about Isadora’s life and times…truly a beautiful experience.”
Dance Visions NY will perform on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Jericho Library Auditorium, 1 Merry Lane, Jericho, and on Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. in the Long Beach Public Library Auditorium, 111 W. Park Ave., Long Beach. The program is free, and call the Jericho Library at 516-935-6790 or the Long Beach library at 516-432-7201 for ticket information.
—Submitted by Dance Visions NY
