Francesca Todesco
- Primary teachers: Catherine Gallant
- Additional teachers: Barbara Kane | Julia Levien | Loretta Thomas
- Began studying Duncan dance: 2000 (Fourth Generation)
- Areas of expertise: Performer, Teacher, Repertory Coach, Choreographer
- Location: New York (USA - Northeast)
- Address: New York, NY
- Phone: 917-945-4064
- Email: francesca@danceswedance.org
Francesca Todesco, of Swiss-Italian origin, studied dance in Switzerland, Germany, and the U.S. After spending several years dancing in St. Louis, MO, she moved to New York City in the summer of 1998. Over her many years in New York, she developed a deep love for classical modern dance, performing in the repertory of Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Charles Weidman, and Anna Sokolow, among others.
Her journey with Duncan repertory began in 2000 when she started studying and performing with Catherine Gallant. This sparked a profound passion for Duncan’s work, ultimately leading Francesca to teach it to both children and adults. From 2005 to 2016, she directed Every Little Movement, a dance program dedicated to introducing children to the fundamentals of modern dance, during which she developed Duncan-inspired studies set to Schubert’s short pieces.
Throughout her career, Francesca has studied with esteemed teachers such as Jim May, Gail Corbin, Deborah Carr, Betty Jones, Fritz Ludin, Catherine Gallant, and Loretta Thomas, as well as members of the Limón Company. She also trained in flamenco with José Molina.
Since 2000, Francesca has been a dancer with Catherine Gallant/DANCE and a core member of Dances by Isadora, deeply exploring Duncan’s legacy. From 2003 to 2019, she was a member of the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, performing and reconstructing Anna Sokolow’s repertory, eventually serving as the ensemble’s managing and administrative director. She also organized Historical Dance Workshops in New York, bringing master teachers from various classical modern dance traditions.
Currently, Francesca is the Artistic Director of Dances We Dance, a New York-based nonprofit dance company committed to training a new generation of Duncan dancers while fostering an ensemble versatile in multiple movement styles. She continues to teach Duncan classes and workshops in New York and abroad, choreographing and reconstructing works from the Duncan and Sokolow repertories. She also serves on the board of the American Dance Guild (ADG).
www.danceswedance.org
Affiliations
Dances by Isadora — dancer (since 2000)
Dances We Dance — Artistic Director (since 2020)
Isadora Duncan Dance Group — dancer (since 2021)
Links
Videos
| Collection | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Common Shade | July 2015 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora at Jacobs Pillow 7-13-17 INSIDE/OUT Series | 2017-07-13 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Grande Marche | 2013 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Roses from the South | 2012 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Reflets d'Allemagne | 2011 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Grande March | 2011 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Maenod | 2009 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Scherzo | 2004 |
| Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel | Dances by Isadora: Animus | 2001 |
Related items in the Archives
The Isadora Duncan Archive Collection > Programs > Isadora Duncan in the 21st Century — Jan 20, 2017