VWC Women’s Issues Committee presents dance retrospective in Ben Lomond
By Connie DeNault
Born in San Francisco in the 1870s, Isadora Duncan was known for her improvised, fantastical dancing style and performed to acclaim throughout Europe. She left the Bay in 1895 with her immediate family for economic, and passionate and personal reasons but returned in the late fall of 1917 to dance at the Columbia Theater in San Francisco, which is now the Geary Theater. After a theatrical interpretation of a Hellenic myth on the 25th, she presented another compassionate virtuoso solo on November 27th, 1917 that included her famous dance, La Marsillaise, performed to the national anthem of France. Both France and the United State were engaged in World War I at the time.
A century after Isadora Duncan’s 1917 performances, master teacher, dance historian, and performer, Lois Flood, comes to historic Park Hall to teach a two-part, four-hour workshop on the Isadora Duncan style of natural dance. The workshop will include the reconstruction of two of Isadora Duncan’s compositions, Rose Petal Dance and The Furies, based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. A reception to honor Lois Flood follows the workshop, and guests are invited to view books, film clips, and ephemera about Isadora Duncan.
August 6th, 2017
1:00–4:00 PM
Park Hall
9400 Mill Street, Ben Lomond, CA
$25 for both sessions | $15 for one (you will want to do both!)
Lois Ann Flood, Bay Area Duncan dance historian, teacher, and performer has been invited back to Park Hall to teach this extraordinary workshop. Lois has been performing the exquisite dances of Isadora Duncan for over 20 years. Her interpretations are widely recognized for their dynamic, expressive, and dramatic qualities. She is also acknowledged for her sensitive and profound musicality as she creates visual music through movement. She has performed and taught master classes in NYC, Paris and San Francisco. Lois is well known in the Northern California area, where she performs lecture and dance programs at theaters, museums, and colleges.
Lois has previously performed her lecture demonstration and concerts at Park Hall and taught a successful workshop at the Senior Center several years ago. We are thrilled she has agreed to come back to do this four-hour workshop! Join us in a reception following the workshop to honor Lois.
Session I
1:00–2:00 PM
Warm up and intro/refresher to the Duncan style of natural movement which was originally learned from Isadorables: Irma and Anna Duncan.
Session 2
2:15–4:00 PM
Two dances from Isadora Duncan’s Repertory:
- Rose Petaldance which Isadora felt most expressed her soul.
- The Furies,a more dramatic, emotional dance which is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Reception Honoring Lois Ann Flood
4:00–5:00 PM
$5 donation for public attendees (helps with refreshments)
Free to those participating in the workshop
Extras!
During the reception and time permitting, Lois has short films to share with us. Rare footage of Isadora dancing (a different one from the garden party short film), footage of an interview with Anna Duncan about Isadora’s method of teaching/philosophy, and footage of Maria Theresa Duncan dancing at age 20. There will be Isadora Duncan books to look through from Lois’ collection and Connie’s including Joanna Gewertz Harris’ 2009 book, Beyond Isadora: Bay Area Dancing 1915-1965. Also, Lois has her own newly published art book, Lolsadora, with photography by Robert A Fischer. We may even include some of the dancers from the workshop informally showing a few phrases from the two dances that were taught.
Reservations: c21denaul@aol.com | 831-252-2121 | http://valleywomensclub.org/