Johannes Brahms

Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan

Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan is a ballet solo choreographed by Frederick Ashton to music by Johannes Brahms, inspired by Isadora Duncan and created for Lynn Seymour. The first

Background and production#

During the Easter holiday in 1921, the 17-year-old Ashton saw a performance of Isadora Duncan at Prince of Wales Theatre, London. Duncan, 44, was in semi-transparent drapes and had badly dyed red hair, though the performance captivated Ashton, and he returned a few more times. One of the dances is set to a Brahms Waltz, with her running forward while strewing rose petals with her hands. Ashton chose to be inspired by the Duncan performances he saw, rather than recreate her choreography, though he replicated some of Duncan’s choreography, including the petal dance at the beginning of the solo. He described, " Seymour had her hands full of petals and as she runs forward the petals streamed behind her." He brought photos of Duncan taken by Arnold Genthe, watercolour paintings by André Dunoyer de Segonzac and Abraham Walkowitz, and a programme from a Duncan performance he had kept to rehearsals. According to Seymour, Ashton drew a peachy-pink line on the programme, as a reminder of the colour of Duncan’s costume. The costume of the ballet included a red wig and transparent pink chiffon dress, similar to what Duncan wore.

Performances#

The first version of the solo, Brahms Waltz, premiered on 22 June 1975, at the Hamburg State Opera. The expanded version, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, premiered on 15 June 1976, at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, during Ballet Rambert’s 50th anniversary gala.

Videography#

In 1977, Seymour’s performance of Five Brahms Waltzes was broadcast on PBS’s Dance in America: Trailblazers of Modern Dance.

Composer: Johannes Brahms