In 1921, the legendary American dancer Isadora Duncan arrived in post-revolutionary Russia with an audacious goal: to build a new kind of dance school for a new world. Already celebrated for her groundbreaking performances across the Russian Empire from 1904 to 1913, Duncan had become an influential figure in the cultural life of the Silver Age, inspiring artists, writers, and thinkers alike.
This monograph offers a compelling exploration of Duncan’s Russian years—both before and after the October Revolution—drawing on rare archival sources and never-before-published Russian materials. It illuminates her artistic vision, her role in shaping early Soviet cultural debates, and the shifting political and aesthetic landscapes she navigated. From Silver Age reimaginations of antiquity to the rise of Socialist Realism and the modern revival of Duncan’s dance, this book traces the enduring legacy of a revolutionary artist in a world undergoing radical transformation.

Elena Yushkova has studied Isadora Duncan's legacy for many years. She is the author of two Russian language books, including the first monograph on Duncan published in Russia, as well as numerous articles in academic journals and edited volumes. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of Kentucky.

“Yushkova separates fact from fiction in the biographical accounts, playing down the tales of drinking, depression, orgies pretending to be Bacchic revelries and "pornographic tendencies", and exposing the ageism and misogyny that shaped later accounts of Duncan's performances. She unearths little-known assessments of her Russian performances and their programmes. [...] Yushkova's account of the "school for a thousand children" that Duncan set up in Moscow in 1921 includes menus, nap times, descriptions of the fittings in all the rooms and the diffuse light emanating from the "chandelier covered with a pink scarf”.
— Simon Morrison, The Times Literary Supplement, September 2026

List of Illustrations
Foreword by Blair A. Ruble
Introduction
Chapter 1. Isadora and Russian Pre-Revolutionary Culture
Chapter 2. Isadora’s Perception after the Revolution
Chapter 3. Moscow School
Chapter 4. Russian Revolutionary Songs in Isadora
Chapter 5. Isadora and the Russian Men after Esenin
Conclusion and Acknowledgements
Appendix
Chronology of Duncan’s Performances in Russia
Name Index
Subject Index