Isadora Duncan - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

In the 1968 film titled Isadora, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Isadora Duncan's life has been portrayed most notably. In 1966 BBC biopic by Ken Russell's, subtitled 'The Biggest Dancer in the World' and introduced by Duncan's biographer, Sewell Stokes, she was played by Vivian Pickles.

The opening theme for the 1972-79 American TV sitcom series Maude refers to Isadora Duncan "as a first bra-burner" in its lyrics, reflecting on Bea Arthur's Maude Findlay character's own feminist views in the series.

In 1981, she was the subject of a ballet, Isadora, written and choreographed by the Royal Ballet's Kenneth MacMillan, and performed at Covent Garden.

A 1991 stage play When She Danced about Duncan's later years by Martin Sherman, won the Evening Standard Award (best actress) for Vanessa Redgrave. In 2008, based on the stage play, a Hungarian musical was produced in Budapest.

In 'Fever 103', a poem by Sylvia Plath first published in the Poetry magazine's August 1963 edition, a reference to Duncan's fatal accident is made in the lines: 'Love, love, the low smokes roll/ From me like Isadora’s scarves, I’m in a fright/One scarf will catch and anchor in the wheel.'

The children's gothic book series, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, includes a set of fraternal triplets named Isadora, Duncan, and Quigley Quagmire.

In 1990, the song "Isadora Duncan" was the first song on the album "Little" written and recorded by Vic Chesnutt. Robert Calvert recorded a song about Duncan on his Revenge LP. The song is called "Isadora". Salsa diva Celia Cruz sang a song titled "Isadora" in Duncan's honor. Finnish musician Juice Leskinen recorded a song called "Isadora Duncan". Russian singer Alexander Malinin recorded a song about the death of Isadora Duncan. Russian band Leningrad have a song about her on their Pulya (Bullet) album. American post-hardcore group Burden of a Day has a song titled, "Isadora Duncan" on their 2009 album OneOneThousand.

In the 1992 book The Crow Road by Iain M. Banks, a character wishes upon the thief that stole his scarf on a train that it "unravel and do an Isodora Duncan on the wretch."