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Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality.In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity shown by complicated, codified positions and movements.In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual

custom.These were replaced with flowing Grecian tunics, bare feet, and unbound hair.She discarded corset, ballet shoes.and stiff costumes.

Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality.
Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit.
At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In
later years trial, error, and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the
movement. Eventually, innovators even drew from what they considered the dread ballet,
but first they had to discard all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The
beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first

person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.

Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement
should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should

be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas.

First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance.
Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet
the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity shown by complicated, codified positions
and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way.
Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke

tradition so others might be able to develop the art.

Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She discarded corset, ballet shoes. and
stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian tunics, bare feet, and unbound
hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed
this ideal. Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the
symphonies of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual

custom. She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance