A great dancer who loved speed and driving fast? This will be discussed in an article that reveals a certain mystical role of the “iron horse” in her life.
Brief biography
Irish by nationality, the future reformer of choreography was born in large family in San Francisco (USA). This happened on May 27, 1877. The correct pronunciation of her first and last name is Isadora Denkan, but in Russia a different reading of them has become established. The story of Isadora Duncan is an example of serving the main passion of life - dance, which brought her global recognition. Leaving school at the age of thirteen, she headed to Chicago, where she performed in nightclubs from the age of 18. An unusual costume (Greek chiton) and amazing plasticity that destroys all canons classical dance, made her famous.
The dancer began to be invited to social parties, where she created a real sensation, performing barefoot, which was unusual for that time. In 1903, she successfully toured Budapest with a solo program, and in 1904, together with her older sister, she opened her own dance school in Germany. The famous dancer visited Russia several times: in 1905, 1907 and 1913. In 1921, the People's Commissar of Education invited her to open a choreographic school in the capital, promising financial assistance.
Dancer Isadora Duncan: the men in her life
An amorous, freedom-loving woman loved many men, preferring to live in luxury and glory. But she was never truly happy with any of them. At the age of 18, she almost married a Pole, Miroski. The devoted fan turned out to be married, and this unsuccessful romance began a series of bad luck in her relationships with men. She was engaged to the talented actor Oscar Berezhi, who preferred family life career. At 29, she gave birth to a daughter from the modernist director E. Craig, but he decided to return to his former lover. Then millionaire P. Singer, the son of an outstanding inventor, appeared in her life.
Isadora Duncan, whose cause of death is discussed in this article, became a mother for the second time, giving birth to a boy from her loved one. But this relationship was soon destroyed. The reason was Isadora’s jealousy and freedom-loving disposition, who did not want to give up art and flirting with men.
Death of children
From childhood, the woman lived in anticipation of trouble. Before her birth, her father abandoned the family, leaving her mother with four children. In 1913, in Russia, Isadora began to have terrible visions, and a funeral march was constantly in her ears. She left with her daughter and son for Paris. The visions stopped, and one day, reassured, she sent both of them by car to Versailles, accompanied by a governess. On the way, the engine stalled, and the driver left the car to investigate the problem. But she started moving, sliding straight into the Seine. Daughter Diedra and son Patrick drowned in the river.
The answer to the question of how Isadora Duncan died will not be complete without understanding the scale of the tragedy that occurred in her life. Outwardly maintaining her composure, she nearly lost her mind and threw herself into the river while walking along the beach. The young Italian who saved her became the father of her child, born in 1914. But the baby died immediately after birth.
Meeting with Yesenin
A tired forty-three-year-old woman tried to lose herself in her work, planning to open a dance school in Moscow and living in the requisitioned apartment of the ballerina Ekaterina Geltser. In October 1921, at the artist Yakulov's, Isadora Duncan, whose cause of death would excite the whole world, met with Yesenin, the bohemian poet of post-revolutionary Russia. Not knowing the language, she listened to the music of his poems, realizing that before her was a genius. In turn, admired by her dance, the young rake knelt down and heard her say with an accent: “Golden head.”
Love-passion consumed both. Soon Sergei Yesenin had already moved into the apartment of his lover, who persuaded him to go on tour to the USA and Europe. To obtain permission to leave, the couple registered their marriage in 1922. The age difference was 17 years, but by the age of 26, the metropolitan poet was already fed up with life and often spent time in a drunken stupor.
Official marriage
Their union was the only registered marriage of the dancer, which became fatal for both. On tour, Isadora was received with delight, especially at home - in the USA. Russian celebrity no one knew, despite her attempts to organize poetry readings. Homesickness, a feeling of loneliness and wounded pride were doing their job. Sergei Yesenin increasingly appeared on the pages of newspapers thanks to scandals and brawls, during one of which Isadora was forced to contact the police. The husband was sent to a psychiatric clinic.
In 1923, the couple came to Russia. The honeymoon abroad completely upset the relationship. Isadora returned to Paris, where her husband sent a telegram that everything was over between them, he loved another and was happy. Two years later he would be found hanged in the St. Petersburg Angleterre Hotel. How did Isadora Duncan die?
Last love
At the peak of her popularity, the dancer adopted six students, but this did not stop her from experiencing a passion for men until the end of her days. One of the last lovers was pianist Viktor Serov, half the age of his passion. She was driven by jealousy and even contemplated suicide, but, according to friend Mary Desty, at 50 she became quite happy with Benoit Falchetto.
It was to him that she addressed the last note left on the door hotel room September 14, 1927. Another concert awaited her in Nice, to which she took her famous red scarf. With him in Russia she danced to “The Internationale”, and one of the enthusiastic spectators was V. Lenin. Saying that she was on the way to her glory, the woman took the rear passenger seat of the Amilcar, and the owner of the garage, Falchetto, took the driver's seat. What happened next and how did Isadora Duncan die?
Ridiculous death
Getting into accidents many times, the dancer was forced to change four cars during her tour with Yesenin alone. But she still put her life in danger, demanding breakneck speed from the drivers. Falchetto was an experienced driver, so there were no signs of trouble. Mary Desty, seeing off a friend, noticed how the fringe of the shawl began to drag on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the rear wheel. She wanted to scream, but didn't have time. Twisted with its knitting needles as it moved, the scarf drove Isadora's head into the side. The tension of the tissue fractured the woman's spine and tore her carotid artery. Her death was instant.
The driver could not understand why the engine was malfunctioning, and continued to press the gas pedal for several seconds. At this time, his great companion was already dead. The killer car was sold for a fantastic sum at that time - 200 thousand francs. Thousands of people came to the funeral at the Père Lachaise cemetery to say goodbye to their beloved, who passed away so tragically. For Russians, the great dancer is, first of all, Yesenin’s wife. After the death of her husband, Isadora Duncan renounced all copyrights to his works in favor of her mother and sisters and gained respect for her noble deed.
Isadora Duncan died 90 years ago on the Promenade des Anglais.
The name of this dancer is known to almost every Russian-speaking person who is at least a little familiar with the work of Sergei Yesenin. And, of course, everyone knows the story of Isadora’s tragic death in a car. Today, September 14, marks 90 years since she got into the ill-fated convertible and drove onto the Promenade.
Successful in career and unhappy in personal life
Isadora was born in San Francisco in 1878. At the age of 13, she dropped out of school and focused exclusively on music and dancing. Five years later, the girl surprised Chicago viewers. She moved barefoot and in a Greek chiton, which shocked the conservative public. But later her dance revolutionized the world of choreography, and Isadora herself became an outstanding artist of that era.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Duncan moved to Europe, where she performed very successfully. In 1904, she gave birth to a daughter with her lover, the modernist theater director Edward Gordon Craig. Life with him did not work out for the dancer. And soon she met Paris Eugene Singer. The couple lived in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Paris. In 1910, Isadora gave Singer a son. But, unfortunately, this union also fell apart.
Three years after the birth of his son, tragedy struck in Paris. The brakes of the car, in which Isadora's two children and a nanny were located, failed. The car fell into the Seine, and the passengers were unable to get out. Only the driver survived. After the grief that befell her, Isadora devoted herself completely to work. She toured all over the world and taught.
“It's red! Me too!”
In 1921, Duncan was invited to Soviet Union to create your own dance school. Fascinated by the October Revolution, Isadora, without hesitation, went to Russia, where she met Sergei Yesenin. Their romance flared up from the first meeting, despite the 18-year age difference. Within six months they lived together, and in 1922 they got married. A little later, the dancer went on tour to the USA, and Yesenin went with her. In America, Duncan constantly wore a red scarf, chanting: “It's red! And me too!
This trip was the beginning of the end of a beautiful romance. Quarrels, drunkenness, assault filled their relationship, leaving crazy passion and love in the past. Duncan forgave Sergei all his antics, but his feelings cooled irrevocably. No longer embarrassed, he said in front of everyone: “Here you are!” Sticks like molasses!”
In 1923, the couple returned to Moscow, and a month later Duncan left the Soviet Union forever and alone. She arrived in Nice, where a telegram immediately arrived: “I love someone else. Married. Happy. Yesenin."
In the heart of the Cote d'Azur, she began to rebuild her life. Duncan opened a dance school on California Avenue, where she successfully taught. As local newspapers write, it was quite difficult to get into her class; there was no end to those interested. Duncan herself settled in a villa not far from the school. Like any woman, Isadora loved beautiful things. Thus, the dancer was partial to expensive outfits, jewelry and cars. In Nice, she became a client of Benoît Falchetto, who not only serviced her transport, but also sold interesting cars.
Death at Prom
September 14, 1927 was a warm, sunny day in Nice. Isadora went out into the yard to inspect the Amilcar, a small convertible that mechanic Benoît Falchetto had driven to her house. Her eyes lit up, she definitely wanted to ride him. Dressed in a light dress and tied with a long white scarf, the 50-year-old dancer sat in the passenger seat. The driver went to Promenade des Anglais, where Isadora saw her friends. She waved her scarf at them and shouted, “I’m flying off to glory!” Then something terrible happened. Not having traveled even twenty meters, Isadora found herself strangled by this very scarf. Its edges hit the spokes of the wheel. The doctors called to the scene could only confirm death.
Nice, like the entire Cote d'Azur, keeps many stories in its streets, houses and squares. Often walking along them, we do not notice or hear the echo of the distant past. But if we look closely, we will see that on some buildings there are plaques in memory of the people who made the history of our city. For example, if you stop at house No. 239 on the Promenade des Anglais, you will remember that it was here that Isadora “flew to fame,” and a little further there will be a street named after the famous dancer.
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American dancer Isadora Duncan is the founder of a new category of dance - free, she developed unique system, which was based on the plastic traditions of ancient Hellas. As she wrote about herself, she began dancing in her mother’s womb. We invite you to get acquainted with the biography and life of Isadora Duncan and find out several mystical coincidences that foreshadowed her fatal death.
Early years
Dora Angela Duncan was born in 1877, May 27 (according to the horoscopes of Gemini and Ox), in San Francisco, California. Childhood was spent in an atmosphere of poverty and humiliation, since the father of the future celebrity abandoned his pregnant wife with three children already born and ran away, having previously committed an illegal bank fraud.
For the mother, this was extreme stress, which she struggled with in a very unique manner - she could not take any other food besides oysters, which she washed down with champagne. After the birth of Dora, it became even harder for the unfortunate woman - caring for four babies and constant “battles” with her husband’s deceived creditors fell on her fragile shoulders.
Mary Dora Gray Duncan turned out to be a very strong and strong-willed woman. A musician by profession, she gave huge amount private lessons, and spent the money she earned on raising and educating her children.
First hardships
Unfortunately, due to her excessive busyness, the mother could not pay due attention to Dora, the youngest of her children, so the girl was enrolled in school at the age of 5, having previously been assigned a couple of years of age. The little girl felt lonely and uncomfortable among classmates who were much older; she would retain this melancholy throughout her life and would later be able to express it in dance.
However, in the evenings the mother returned home, sat down at the piano and played for her beloved children. best works world classics. From childhood, all Duncan children were distinguished by good taste and education; their mother, despite her constant employment, managed to raise them as intelligent people.
Love for life
From an early age, Isadora Duncan, whose photo is presented below, was distinguished by her flexibility, musicality and plasticity, and at the age of only 6 years she began to pass on her knowledge to neighboring children, teaching them to dance. At 10 years old your first money in the future world celebrity She made money precisely with her unique lessons, in which she constantly invented new movements. Before one of these lessons, there was a fire, all the girl’s outfits were destroyed in the fire, but she was not at a loss - tying a sheet under her chest, she began to dance in such a loose robe. Subsequently, this will become her style.
But studying at a regular school progressed with great difficulty, science seemed boring and useless to the young dancer, she could hardly sit at her desk, waiting for classes to end.
Soon the little girl felt in love for the first time, her chosen one was a young pharmacist's assistant, Dora's courtship was so persistent that the man had to resort to a trick and say that he was engaged and the wedding was just around the corner. The girl will soon forget this man, but dancing, eternal love will remain with her forever.
Major changes
At the age of 13, Dora dropped out of school and decided to take up dancing seriously, for this she ended up with the then famous Loie Fuller, an actress and dancer in the modern style. This meeting became fateful; Isadora managed to conquer her mentor and began to perform with her on equal terms. At the age of 18, dancer Isadora Duncan goes to Chicago, where she begins performing her memorable routines in nightclubs.
A young girl performed barefoot, wearing a simple short chiton in the manner of performers Ancient Hellas, so she very quickly won over the public, her numbers were perceived as something outlandish and unusual. She deliberately did not want to put on pointe shoes and a tutu, and refused to move classical ballet in favor of our own, flexible and light. All this was innovation for that time. Isadora began to be called the dancing sandal.
It never occurred to anyone to call the flexible dancer in a light robe vulgar or obscene; her dance was a magical, mesmerizing spectacle. It was at this time that changes occurred in the personal life of Isadora Duncan; Ivan Mirotsky, an emigrant artist who was much older than the successful dancer, fell madly in love with the girl. Their romance was permeated with notes of romance, the lovers walked under the moonlight, kissed in the silence of the forest. And it seemed that things were heading towards marriage. However, the girl soon learned the harsh truth - the artist is married, his wife lives in Europe, and all this time he was involved with both of them. This breakup greatly affected Isadora; she expressed her pain and resentment through dance.
Worldwide success
The first performances allowed the girl to save enough money to go on a real tour of Europe.
In 1904, 27-year-old Duncan successfully performed in Munich, Berlin, Vienna and quickly won the love of the public in these cities, and also visited St. Petersburg, where there were a huge number of admirers of her talent.
Duncan famously said about dance:
If my art is symbolic, then this symbol is only one: the freedom of women and her emancipation from the ossified conventions that underlie Puritanism.
Despite her success, Isadora was unable to save an impressive amount of money. She spent everything she managed to earn on opening dance schools.
Novels
Isadora was creative personality, during her short life she managed to experience love in all its manifestations; the list of her lovers is quite impressive. There are both grown men and young inexperienced boys in it. The dancer longed for love, in which she found inspiration. She was always in love. It is known that her relationship with actor Oscar Berezhi almost ended in marriage, but the dancer’s chosen one exchanged the relationship with her for a lucrative contract and left for Spain. Duncan was unlucky in love.
Her next chosen one, Gordon Craig, even became the father of her daughter Deirdre, but abandoned the dancer and threw in his lot with his old friend. This plunged Isadora into depressive state, she believed that all men are traitors and deceivers. This was followed by a painful relationship with Paris Eugene Singer, the heir to an empire specializing in the production of sewing machines; he very persistently sought her affection, but also did not marry, although the dancer gave birth to his son Patrick.
Tragedy
In 1913, something happened in Isadora’s life terrible tragedy, V car accident Both of her children died; before that, for several weeks the woman had been haunted by a bad feeling, but could not interpret it correctly. Despite the pain and despair, the mother, who had lost the most valuable thing, came out in defense of the driver, believing that in the tragedy that occurred he was only a pawn in the hands of fate and could not do anything against evil fate.
Out of pain and despair, the woman entered into a relationship with a young Italian man, from whom she became pregnant, but the baby died just a few days after his birth.
Here's how the woman felt about life's losses:
Life is like a pendulum: the more you suffer, the crazier your happiness; the deeper the sadness, the brighter the joy will be.
Love of my life
The story of Yesenin and Isadora Duncan began almost immediately after this. The Russian poet became the dancer’s only husband and the greatest and brightest love of her life. It is noteworthy that Sergei was 18 years younger than his chosen one and there is a version that Duncan’s maternal instinct leaped into her, because at that time she had no living children.
The relationship was strange, the lovers traveled around Europe, enjoyed passion and were happy, but soon reality intervened in their idyll: Yesenin did not speak English at all, and Isadora spoke Russian poorly. Abroad, everyone perceived the young poet as a “page” to the great Duncan, which could not help but hurt his pride. The passion subsided and was replaced by the pain of disappointment.
The poet returned to Russia, the dancer remained in Europe, they were not faithful to each other. Very soon Yesenin’s life was tragically interrupted.
Death
Let's find out how Isadora Duncan died. Her whole life was filled with tragic omens and premonitions, so a close friend of the dancer was sure that the celebrity’s death would be related to cars, and so it happened. It is interesting that before the tragic incident that took her life, Isadora could have died in car accidents many times, but she managed to avoid death.
This happened on September 14, 1927. Hurrying to meet her lover in Nice, Isadora got into the car, losing sight of the fact that the end of her long shawl got under the rear wheel vehicle. When the car started moving, the shawl pulled tight and broke the dancer’s neck. The path ended so absurdly great woman, who managed to forever write her name in world history.
Having considered life and creative path Isadora Duncan, we suggest in conclusion to get acquainted with some interesting facts from her life:
- It is generally accepted that it was largely thanks to her that women of the last century abandoned uncomfortable corsets that caused health problems. The dancer inspired designer Paul Poiret to create a collection of tunics and loose shirt dresses.
- Paris Eugene Singer, one of Duncan's lovers, helped her financially and even took over the maintenance of one of Isadora's schools in Gruneveld, where 40 children studied the art of dance.
- The dancer was an ardent opponent official marriage, believing that he is depriving a woman of her freedom.
- Having received an invitation from the Soviet government to open in Russia dance school, Isadora agreed without hesitation.
She had no followers left, since the dancer did not create an integral system of movements; she always expressed in dance what was in her soul, and this was much more than just steps, it was the very perception of life. It is impossible to imitate this, since the delightful dance came from the depths of Isadora’s soul.
As a rule, talent and great success come at a price, and the price can be much greater than the popularity and fame that comes with success. Isadora never found her personal happiness in love, she survived the death of her children and the end of her life was an absurd, stupid death.
The Unlucky Fate of Isadora Duncan
The mother of the future dance queen, Mary Duncan, earned money by teaching music lessons. Naturally, she taught music to her own children, who, according to her, were her best students. In addition, little Isadora took ballet lessons.
In 1895, the Duncan family moved to Chicago. The girl tried to find a job as a dancer in one of the city’s theaters and, as a result, after many days of searching and viewing, the director of one of the entertainment establishments invited her to sign a contract.
In Chicago, the beautiful Isadora had her first real admirer - the forty-five-year-old artist Ivan Mirotsky, who was Polish by birth. He even made an official proposal to the young girl. But later it turned out that the artist was married... With resentment in her soul and a broken heart, Isadora left for London.
Perhaps it was the right decision, since there her dancing career instantly took off. She danced at social events without a bra and tights, barefoot, introducing an element of antiquity into her non-standard performances greek dance. This innovation sent the public into a real frenzy.
The Unrequited Love of Isadora Duncan
However, despite her popularity, Isadora was still unlucky in her personal life. She accepted the proposal and was engaged to an unknown actor, Magyar by nationality - Oscar Bereži. It was he who was lucky enough to become the first man in the life of a 25-year-old dancer; before that she remained a virgin, which was unusual for the bohemian environment in which her life took place. However, soon the actor was offered filming in the capital of Spain, Madrid, and he announced the termination of the engagement.
At the age of 29, Isadora met theater director and director Gordon Craig, with whom she gave birth to her first child, daughter Deirdre. After some time, Isadora and Gordon separated due to the latter's fault, since he refused to marry her and preferred marriage to his previously beloved Elena. This was another blow to the woman’s heart, which left typos for the rest of her life.
One day after a concert, an imposing man entered Isadora’s theater dressing room and introduced himself as Paris Eugene Singer. The man inherited a huge fortune from his deceased father, a manufacturer who produced world-famous Singer sewing machines. From Paris Singer Isidora had a son, Patrick. However, I had to end all relations with Paris, since he was incredibly jealous of Isadora towards all the men around the dancer.
A terrible prediction
In 1905, L. Bakst, a Russian artist who was fond of palmistry, predicted the already famous Isadora that she would have tremendous success and fame, but at the same time she would lose her two most beloved creatures. This prediction was a kind of curse of Isadora Duncan. At the beginning of 1913, Isadora Duncan went on a long tour to Russia. Already, being in the coldest country in Europe, terrible visions began to haunt her. She either heard the sounds of funeral marches, or saw through the veil of falling snow two children’s coffins piled up in the middle of the snowdrifts.
To the dancer’s great regret, these premonitions were destined to come true. After touring Russia, Duncan came to the French capital of Paris to see her daughter’s father, Paris Singer. One day, while in dance studio at one of the Parisian theaters, three completely black cats suddenly ran in front of her. And returning to her dressing room, the dancer saw a book forgotten by someone unknown, the infamous “Niobe Mourning Her Own Children.” Isadora understood that all these signs were harbingers of terrible trouble. And she was not mistaken. Soon Singer came to her with terrible news. The car in which Isadora's children were with their nanny lost control and drowned in the Seine.
After the death of the children, Isadora fell ill nervous disorder. She was constantly haunted by mysterious visions; one day, while walking along a deserted embankment, she suddenly clearly saw her dead children. Holding each other's hands, they entered the water. Seeing this, the woman felt bad. She was helped up by a young Italian who happened to be nearby at the right time. From that moment they became lovers, as a result of a rather fleeting relationship, Isadora gave birth to a third child - a boy, but he was destined to live only a few days.
Isadora Duncan wife of Sergei Yesenin
In order to somehow soothe her emotional wounds, Isadora threw herself headlong into work and in 1921 opened a dance school in Moscow. In the Russian capital, she first met the great poet Sergei Yesenin.
A year later, in 1922, Yesenin and Duncan officially became spouses. At one time after the marriage they lived abroad together. But the famous Russian poet constantly suffered from the fact that he was not perceived as literary personality, but only as the wife of the great Isadora Duncan.
In addition, the wife was 18 years older. Another obstacle in their relationship was the language barrier; she spoke Russian poorly, and he knew neither French nor English. And he did not get rid of his addiction to abusing alcoholic beverages after his marriage. In 1924, the poet returned to Russia and literally soon sent a telegram to his wife:
I love another woman, married, happy.
As a result, they filed for divorce.
Death of Isadora Duncan
On September 14, 1927, at the peak of her fame, the dancer was scheduled to give a concert in Nice. A legend that became known later says that a moment before getting into the car, Isadora exclaimed to her fans:
Goodbye, friends! I'm going to glory!
The driver started the car. Neither he nor the dancer noticed that the long red scarf wrapped around her neck had hit the axle of the rear wheel. Taking a long drag, he literally suffocated her.
Body great actress was cremated and the ashes were buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
So the life of the great actress was tragically cut short and beautiful woman, who was the idol of millions of people, but never experienced real happiness! Isadora Duncan's curse came to life, simultaneously taking away her own.
Isadora Duncan, born Dora Angela Duncan. Born May 27, 1877 in San Francisco (USA) - died September 14, 1927 in Nice (France). American innovative dancer and founder of free dance.
She developed a dance system and movement, which she herself associated with ancient Greek dance. Wife in 1922-1924.
She was born on May 27, 1877 in San Francisco in the family of Joseph Duncan, who, soon going bankrupt, left his wife with four children.
Isadora, hiding her age, was sent to school at the age of 5. At the age of 13, Duncan left school, which she considered useless, and took up music and dancing seriously, continuing her self-education.
At age 18, Duncan moved to Chicago, where she began performing with dance numbers in nightclubs, where the dancer was presented as an exotic curiosity: she danced barefoot in a Greek chiton, which shocked the audience.
In 1903, Duncan and his family made an artistic pilgrimage to Greece. Here Duncan initiated the construction of a temple on Kopanos hill to hold dance classes(now the Isadora and Raymond Duncan Center for Dance Studies). Duncan's performances in the temple were accompanied by a choir of ten boy singers selected by her, with whom she gave concerts in Vienna, Munich, and Berlin from 1904.
In 1904, Duncan met the modernist theater director Edward Gordon Craig, became his mistress and had a daughter with him. At the end of 1904 - beginning of 1905, she gave several concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow, where, in particular, she met. In January 1913, Duncan again went on tour to Russia. Here she found many fans and followers who founded their own free or plastic dance studios.
In 1921, People's Commissar of Education of the RSFSR Lunacharsky officially invited Duncan to open a dance school in Moscow, promising financial support. She said: “As the ship sailed north, I looked back with contempt and pity at all the old institutions and customs of bourgeois Europe that I was leaving. From now on I will only be a comrade among comrades, I will develop an extensive plan of work for this generation of humanity. Farewell inequality, injustice and animal rudeness of the old world, which made my school unrealizable!
But she believed in the promises of the Bolsheviks, and when she stepped onto the Moscow platform, she realized that Soviet reality bore little resemblance to Eldorado. And, of course, the promises were not kept: Duncan had to raise most of the money for the school on her own. But again, like many intellectuals, she will consider this temporary difficulties, the price of entry into heaven.
In October 1921, Duncan met Sergei Yesenin. In 1922, they officially formalized the marriage, which was dissolved in 1924. Usually, when describing this union, authors note its love-scandal side, but these two artists were undoubtedly brought together by their creative relationship.
Duncan raised both her own children and those she adopted. Daughter Derdry (1906-1913) from director G. Craig and son Patrick (1910-1913) from businessman Paris Singer died in a car accident. In 1914 she gave birth to a boy, but he died a few hours after birth. Isadora adopted six of her students, among whom was Irma Erich-Grimm. The “Izadorabli” girls became continuers of the traditions of free dance and promoters of Duncan’s creativity.
Isadora Duncan died tragically in Nice, suffocated by her own scarf, which got caught in the wheel axle of the car in which she was taking a walk. It was alleged that she last words, said before getting into the car, was: “Farewell, friends! I am going to glory" (French: Adieu, mes amis. Je vais à la gloire!); according to other sources, however, Duncan said “I’m going to love” (Je vais à l’amour), meaning a handsome driver, and the version with fame was invented out of modesty by Duncan’s friend Mary Desty, to whom these words were addressed. Her ashes rest in the columbarium at the Père Lachaise cemetery.