Barbara Kane

Photo credit: Anne McBroom

Barbara Kane discovered the Dance of Isadora Duncan in 1968 via Irma Duncan’s technique booklet. Barbara then found and studied with Lillian Rosenberg 1969 to 1974 and then with Julia Levien 1976 to 1998 and Hortense Kooluris 1976 to 1991. Performing with the Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company 1976 to 1979. From 1976 to 1978 Barbara was also performing with Linda Elkin, Wendy Smith other pupils of Lillian Rosenberg (Wellspring – a Duncan Dance Consort). In 1979 Barbara moved to England and in 1985 set up the Isadora Duncan Dance Group based in Gent, Belgium, Paris and London with the support of Jetty Roels and Francoise Rageau.

Barbara had a curiosity for all Duncan Dance developments in Europe and sought out and took classes with pupils of Lisa Duncan (Madeleine Lytton and Odile Pyros), with pupils of the Elizabeth Duncan School (Lucia Burkiczak, Yvonne Berge, Hannelore Schickt and Eva Blatsizkova (of the Prague Duncan Centre). In 1990/91 Barbara had the privilege of learning from Isadora and Irma Duncan’s Moscow pupil Maria Myskovskaya (Mussia) and from 1991-1995 the pleasure of learning from Lily Dykovskaya and Elena Terentieva (also of the Duncan School Moscow).

Barbara’s performing group ‘Isadora Duncan Dance Group’ (IDDG) was formed as a group to perform only the group dances of Isadora Duncan based on the principle of working in a harmony as a group. IDDG continues with this principle. Barbara has created many group works that accompany Isadora Duncan’s creations: Orpheus/Iphigenia en Aulide and Tauride and Barbara’s own creations in the Duncan Dance style.

Barbara has always felt that Duncan Dance belongs in the community and throughout her career has included Duncan classes for Adults and children with and without disabilities; teaching in Nursing homes/sheltered housing units/children’s centres/youth group centres/in schools throughout London and elsewhere.

Barbara has retired as a performer but continues to teach and coach others in the Dance of Isadora Duncan. Recent teaching includes: Elders Dance; Improvisation with Entelechy Arts (adults with profound physical and sensory disabilities); Duncan Dance classes for children and adults throughout Europe, USA and Japan; Duncan Dance with Julia Pond/Francoise Rageau/Jacqueline Waltz/Sandra Voulgari/Beatrice Pegaz/Annette Mouret/Amy Swanson/Yasuyo Sugimoto/Manami Asano/pupils in London, Ichihara (Japan) and Paris.

Jesse and Barbara 21st century T Dance – Entelechy Arts –photo by Roswitha Cheshire
Children and Adult class Duncan Centre Athens June 2013 photo by Minna Haukka
'Celebrating the Child’ performance at Pembroke Community Arts Centre

Publications

Moving Lives: film by Minna Haukka on the Community Dance classes of Barbara Kane. 2007/8

On Movement : film by Minna Haukka( created as an Installation piece) Duncan Dancing with Barbara Kane performing Ave Maria, Improvisation and an animation of one page of stick drawings by Isadora Duncan from ID’s booklet 1900 ‘ Manual for the Dance’. 2011

Affiliations

Isadora Duncan Dance Group — Artistic Director (since 1985)

Isadora Duncan Commemorative (Centenary) Dance Company — Company Member (1976—1979)

Wellspring - a Duncan Dance Consort

Links

The Collection of Barbara Kane

Barbara Kane Brahms 11 Paris Singer Mansion

Isadora Duncan Dance Group

Videos

Collection Title Date
Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group London-Paris YouTube Channel Isadora Duncan Dance Group: Dance of the Blessed Spirits 2003-09-06
Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group London-Paris YouTube Channel Isadora Duncan Dance Group: Tanagras 2003-09-06
Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group London-Paris YouTube Channel Isadora Duncan Dance Group: Dream Dance 2003
Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group London-Paris YouTube Channel Isadora Duncan Dance Group: Priestess 2003
Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group London-Paris YouTube Channel Isadora Duncan Dance Group: Brahms #11 1996
Hortense Kooluris YouTube Channel Riverside Dance Festival 1978
Hortense Kooluris YouTube Channel Centenary Dance Company 1977-10-23
Sylvia Gold's YouTube channel Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company performs Blessed Spirits
Sylvia Gold's YouTube channel Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company performs Ecossaise
Sylvia Gold's YouTube channel Hortense and the Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company performs Cherubim
Sylvia Gold's YouTube channel Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company performs Linden Tree

Related items in the Archives

The Collection of Jacqueline Crousillat F. > Photos > Rehearsal for IDDG 25 Years Celebration — 2010

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Photos > Julia Levien teaching Barbara Kane the Mother Etude

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Photos > Wellspring with Linda Elkin, Wendy Smith, and Barbara Kane — 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Riverside Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — May 26, 1977

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — Oct 23, 1977

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Duncan Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Riverside Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — Jan 05, 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > The Dance of Isadora Duncan — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — Jun 10, 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — Jun 24, 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Riverside Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company — Jan 24, 1979

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company — Nov 16, 1979

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Homage to Isadora — Madeleine Lytton — 1984

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Dance Group — 1989

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Barbara Kane — Moscow School of Musical Movement — 1990

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Dance Colloquium — Apr 08, 1990

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Odile Pyros — Odile Pyros School — Jun 17, 1991

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Starry Night — Barbara Kane — Dec 20, 1991

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Retrospective Isadora Duncan — 1993

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Ballroom Blitz — Barbara Kane — Isadora Duncan Dance Group, Moscow School of Music and Movement — Aug 04, 1993

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Dance Group Gala Ball — Barbara Kane — Isadora Duncan Dance Group — Sep 27, 1996

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > 2003

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Dance Integration Vol. 1 — Isadora Duncan Dance Group with Pal Ballet School — Sep 06, 2003

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > The Enduring Essence — Ligoa Duncan — Isadora Duncan Dance Group — 2004

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Au delà du joli... Dévoilons Isadora Duncan — Amy Swanson — Apr 06, 2014

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Pal Ballet Studio — May 04, 2014

The Collection of Francoise Rageau > Programs > Hommage a Isadora Duncan — Feb 02, 1986

The Collection of Francoise Rageau > Programs > Odile Pyros Program — Jun 22, 1987

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Articles > Barbara at Delphi — 1990

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Artwork > Drawings of Duncan dance

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Leaflets > Programme for Installation by Minna Haukka 'On Movement' — 2012