Dancing Freedom

Modern Dance in Late Imperial Russia and the Early Soviet Union

By: Irina Sirotkina

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Hardcover | 19 March 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
240 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6 x 2.54

Hardcover

RRP $170.00

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For a long time, dance scholars and the public were hardly aware that modern dance existed in this part of the world. This book, however, delves into its presence, significance and survival in this era, going to show the positive contribution Russia and later the Soviet Union made into the history of modern dance during this time.

A creation of liberal body politics, 'free' or 'modern' dance flourished in late Imperial Russia and the early Soviet Union, before the hardening of communist regimes. An ideal embodiment of emancipation, free dance attracted dancers and audiences, including a significant number of modernist artists and intellectuals.

This book looks in particular at Isadora Duncan and her impact on Stanislavsky's methods, as well as on ballet choreographer Michel Fokine. The modern dance studios of the time are discussed, their role in creating new systems of training - different from ballet - and their creation of a modern dance 'body'.

The author discusses the subsequent introduction of a 'rationalisation' of movement, aimed at controlling the body and underplaying the erotic very present in modern dance.

Finally, the book follows free dance into the years of Stalin's Cultural Revolution, where choreographers had to adapt to the new ideological environment, with modern dance choreographers now staging sport parades showcasing the ideal Soviet body - athletic, vigorous and disciplined. A far cry from the freedom of modern dance.

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