Chopin — Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1 "Minute Waltz"

A nature dance, representing the heat, flame and smoke of fire.

Notes

Valerie Durham

As with all Isadora's nature based dances, this choreography embraces all the elements of the form of nature, in this case fire. The dance is fast, true to its namesake the "Minute Waltz" so called because of the challenge to play the entire piece in one minute. The dance is actually performed slower than one minute, but still has a fast pace. The dancer begins with quick footsteps, high in relevee, and arms overhead in fast flickering sways. The dancer pulls out for a explosion side to side before allowing the arms to rise back up as if billowing smoke. The dancer rushes forward and pulls back in furious signal turns creating sparks of energy. The mid section slows as the dancer waltzes diagonally from one corner to another, indicating a lull in the fuego, a calming of the burn. In returning to the fiery theme, the dancer begins facing away from the audience, with fast flicking sways and urgent feet, turning to face the audience and ending with bigger and bigger turns as the fire escapes the confines of the stage space and rushes the dancer away to consume more of the world beyond.

Videos

Title Date Dancers Full Dance? Notes
Minute Waltz at Jordan Hall 2013-05-26 Sandra Zarotney-Keldsen Yes
DFI Cunningham 1980 Judith Ann Landon Yes
Dances by Isadora: Minute Waltz Sandra Zarotney-Keldsen Yes

Related items in the Archives

The San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design > Programs > Isadorables — Dec 28, 1919

The Collection of Christy Cornell-Pape > Programs > Irma Duncan — Isadora Duncan Dancers — Mar 13, 1932

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Second American Tour — Irma Duncan — Moscow Duncan Dancers

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Dancers — Nov 15, 1929

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Duncan Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > The Dance of Isadora Duncan — Isadora Duncan Centenary Dance Company — Jun 10, 1978

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company — Nov 16, 1979

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Retrospective Isadora Duncan — 1993

The Collection of Janaea Rose Lyn (McAlee) > Programs > Isadorables

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