Sergei Esenin got acquainted with Isadora Duncan in 1921. This episode was described in detail by theatre worker Ilya Shneider in his book Meetings with Esenin: ‘Appearance of Duncan caused a momentary pause and then the devil of a noise began. Only cries “Duncan!” were distinctly heard. Yakulov was all smiles. He asked us to table, but Isadora did not want to eat and we led her to the adjacent room, where she made herself comfortable on the sofa and was immediately surrounded with. All of a sudden, I was nearly downed by somebody in a light grey suit. He rushed past me crying “Where is Duncan? Where is Duncan?” “Who is this man? — I asked Yakulov. — Esenin … — he laughed. I saw Esenin several times, but here It took time to recognize him. In a short while Yakulov and me came up to Isadora. She reclined on the sofa. Esenin was kneeling by her and she was stroking his hair chanting in Russian: — Za-la-taya ga-la-va (golden head)…”.
At that time Duncan had already attained the fame of the free dance founder. After watching the dancer’s performance for the first time, director Vsevolod Meyerkhold wrote: ‘One could weep with emotion. Absence of training. Exuberance of the dancer like in the green countryside’. In 1921 году People’s Commissar of Education Anatoly Lunacharsky officially invited her to open the dance school in Moscow. In her dance Duncan strived for expressing “free spirit in the liberated body”. Each performance of her was full of Dionysian delight that couldn’t help charming her contemporaries.
Actress Anna Nikritina, wife of poet Anatoly Marienhof, recalled the first meeting of Esenin and Duncan in such a way: ‘At once Isadora fell in love with Esenin at first sight… They did not part all evening long and… Marienhof and me left there alone and Esenin went with Duncan. In about two months he moved to Duncan’s place in Prechistenka’.
Having married in May 1922, Esenin and Duncan left for a tour across the European countries and the USA. But after return to Russia in August 1923 the couple parted. Afterwards Esenin repeatedly assured his companions: “I loved Duncan. I loved only two women and the other one was Duncan. Even now I still sincerely love her “.
At that time Duncan had already attained the fame of the free dance founder. After watching the dancer’s performance for the first time, director Vsevolod Meyerkhold wrote: ‘One could weep with emotion. Absence of training. Exuberance of the dancer like in the green countryside’. In 1921 году People’s Commissar of Education Anatoly Lunacharsky officially invited her to open the dance school in Moscow. In her dance Duncan strived for expressing “free spirit in the liberated body”. Each performance of her was full of Dionysian delight that couldn’t help charming her contemporaries.
Actress Anna Nikritina, wife of poet Anatoly Marienhof, recalled the first meeting of Esenin and Duncan in such a way: ‘At once Isadora fell in love with Esenin at first sight… They did not part all evening long and… Marienhof and me left there alone and Esenin went with Duncan. In about two months he moved to Duncan’s place in Prechistenka’.
Having married in May 1922, Esenin and Duncan left for a tour across the European countries and the USA. But after return to Russia in August 1923 the couple parted. Afterwards Esenin repeatedly assured his companions: “I loved Duncan. I loved only two women and the other one was Duncan. Even now I still sincerely love her “.
