Duncan, Irma

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Irma Duncan was born Irma Dorette Ehrich-Grimme on February 26, 1897, in Schleswig-Holstein near Hamburg. Becoming a pupil of Isadora Duncan in January 1905 at her Grunewald School near Berlin, she later, along with five other original pupils, was adopted by Isadora. Her name was legally changed to Irma Duncan in 1917.

In 1918 the six formed an independent group known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers. Irma's debut as such occurred at Carnegie Hall on June 27 of that year.

In 1921 she accompanied Isadora to Russia to found, at the government's invitation, a school of dance. Irma served as a teacher in Moscow for seven years making her solo debut there on April 29, 1923. After Isadora's death in 1927 until 1930, she directed the Moscow school. She toured with her students to Europe and to the United States (the latter during the 1928-1929 and 1929-1930 seasons). When her group, known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers of Moscow, was forced to return to Russia, Irma chose to remain in the United States. Duncan became a US citizen in 1935. She married Sherman S. Rogers, a New York attorney, on September 19, 1935. She authored several books on Isadora Duncan and her technique.

Irma Duncan Rogers died on September 20, 1977.

From the guide to the Music scores from the Isadora Duncan School, 1914?-1949?, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

Irma Duncan was born Irma Dorette Henriette Ehrich-Grimme on February 26, 1897, in Schleswig-Holstein near Hamburg. Becoming a pupil of Isadora Duncan in January 1905 at her Grunewald school near Berlin, her name was legally changed to Irma Duncan in 1917. Along with Isadora's five other original pupils, she became an adopted daughter.

In 1918 these six formed an independent group known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers. Irma's debut as such occurred at Carnegie Hall on June 27 of that year.

In 1921 she accompanied Isadora to Russia to found, at the government's invitation, a school of dance. Irma served as a teacher in Moscow for seven years making her solo debut there on April 29, 1923. After Isadora's death in 1927 until 1930, she directed the Moscow school. She toured with her students to Europe and to the United States (the latter during the 1928-1929 and 1929-1930 seasons). When her group, known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers of Moscow, were forced to return to Russia, Irma chose to remain in the United States.

Duncan became a U.S. citizen in 1935. She married Sherman S.Rogers, a New York attorney, on September 19, 1935. She authored several books on Isadora Duncan and her technique.

Irma Duncan Rogers died on September 20, 1977.

Isadora Duncan - List of Events 1878? May 27Born in San Francisco 1896To Chicago. Met Augustin Daly and was engaged to dance in A Midsummer Night's Dreamin New York. Danced under Daly for two years in various shows. 1898-99Gave concerts in Carnegie Hall Studio with Ethelbert Nevin, and danced in the drawing-rooms of New York society. Gave three different concerts in Newport, including The [UNK] of Omar Khayyam,September 1898. In April, 1899, danced The Happier Age of Gold,Idylls from Theocritus and [UNK] at the Lyceum Theatre in New York. 1899-1900To London. Danced in private homes and before Queen Victoria, and was admired by artists and intellectuals. Dance Idyllsprogram. 1900-1901To Paris. Gave Dance Idyllsprogram in private salons and studios, again attracting artists, intellectuals, and the social [UNK]. 1902Travelled with the Loie Fuller troupe. Met Alexander [UNK], the impresario, after dancing for artists at the Kunstler Haus in Vienna. Gross arranged her contract to dance 30 evenings in [UNK]. 1903Gave Dance Idyllsprogram at the Théatre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris, June-July. Debut at Kroll Opera House, Berlin. To Greece for winter. 1904Presented The Suppliants(Aeschylus) with a Greek boy's chorus in Vienna and Germany. Spent May-August in Bayreuth where she danced in Tannhauserat the invitation of Frau Cosima Wagner. Opened school in Grunewald with her sister, Elizabeth, and met Gordon Craig in December. Christmas in St. Petersburg. 1905Visited Russia again in February. Gave many concerts in Germany, Belgium, and Holland. Danced Gluck's [UNK]. 1906Toured Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden with Craig and Martin Shaw. Spent summer at Villa [UNK] near Noordwijk, on the Dutch coast. Daughter, Deirdre, born in September. Translated conversations between Craig and Eleonora Duse in Florence, late November, where Craig was designing Rosmersholm.Performances in Warsaw, December-January. 1907Ill with neuralgia January-March. Toured Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. To Russia in December. Friendship with Constantin Stanislavsky. 1908Toured Russia in January and again in the spring. Gave concerts in London and New York under Charles Frohman's management. Late in year appeared in U.S. with Walter Damrosch conducting. 1909Concert series in Paris under the direction of LugnéPoe. [UNK] Paris Singer. Concerts in U.S. with Damrosch in November. 1910Son, Patrick, born May 1. 1911Appeared again in U.S. with Damrosch. Danced [UNK] Orpheus. 1913Concerts in Paris with Mounet-Sully, the Colonne orchestra and chorus, and [UNK] Pierné. April 19, children drowned in Seine. Joined brother Raymond to help refugees in Epirus, May-June. Lived near Eleonora Duse in Viarregio in the fall. 1914Opened school at Bellevue, near Paris. 1915Improvised La Marseillaise at the Metropolitain Opera House in New York. Gave unsuccessful performances at the Century Theatre. 1916South American tour. Performances in Paris and New York. 1918Met Walter Morse Rummel. Tour of France. 1919[UNK] Festival in Paris. Tour of Switzerland. 1921To Moscow in July to open school at the invitation of the Russian government. 1922Married Serge [UNK] on May 3. Began U.S. tour with sell-out concerts at Carnegie Hall in October. Much of tour cancelled because of her “Bolshevik tendencies.” 1923-24Performances throughout Russia. Last Russian performance given before the party leaders in September, 1924. 1927Gave last concert, July 8, at the Théatre Mogador in Paris. Killed in accident in Nice, September 14.

From the guide to the Irma Duncan Collection of Isadora Duncan materials, 1914-1934, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

Irma Duncan was born Irma Dorette Henriette Ehrich-Grimme on February 26, 1897, in Schleswig-Holstein near Hamburg. Becoming a pupil of Isadora Duncan in January 1905 at her Grunewald school near Berlin, her name was legally changed to Irma Duncan in 1917. Along with Isadora's five other original pupils, she became an adopted daughter.

In 1918 these six formed an independent group known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers. Irma's debut as such occurred at Carnegie Hall on June 27 of that year.

In 1921 she accompanied Isadora to Russia to found, at the government's invitation, a school of dance. Irma served as a teacher in Moscow for seven years making her solo debut there on April 29, 1923. After Isadora's death in 1927 until 1930, she directed the Moscow school. She toured with her students to Europe and to the United States (the latter during the 1928-1929 and 1929-1930 seasons). When her group, known as the Isadora Duncan Dancers of Moscow, were forced to return to Russia, Irma chose to remain in the United States.

Duncan became a U.S. citizen in 1935. She married Sherman S. Rogers, a New York attorney, on September 19, 1935. She authored several books on Isadora Duncan and her technique.

Irma Duncan Rogers died on September 20, 1977.

From the guide to the Irma Duncan papers, 1905-1977, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Your Isadora: papers, 1972-1975 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
creatorOf Irma Duncan Collection of Isadora Duncan materials, 1914-1934 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
referencedIn Francis Steegmuller correspondence, 1974- The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
referencedIn Allan Ross Macdougall collection, 1922-1956 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
creatorOf Irma Duncan papers, 1905-1977 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
referencedIn Lucy Phelps Lampkin papers, 1920-1967 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
creatorOf Music scores from the Isadora Duncan School, 1914?-1949? The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
referencedIn Craig-Duncan collection, 1901-1957 The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Augustin Duncan person
associatedWith Craig, Edward Gordon, 1872-1966 person
associatedWith DHCA corporateBody
associatedWith Duncan, Anna, 1894-1980 person
associatedWith Duncan, Erica person
associatedWith Duncan, Isadora, 1877-1927 person
associatedWith Duncan, Lisa person
associatedWith Edward Steichen person
associatedWith E. Gordon Craig person
associatedWith Erika person
associatedWith Irma's person
associatedWith Isadora Duncan person
associatedWith Isadora Duncan Dancers (Isadora Duncan) corporateBody
associatedWith Isadora Duncan Schools corporateBody
associatedWith Isadora's person
associatedWith Lampkin, Lucy person
associatedWith Macdougall, Allan Ross, 1893- person
associatedWith Maria-Theresa, 1896-1987 person
associatedWith Moscow person
associatedWith Paris Singer person
associatedWith Singer, Paris Eugene person
associatedWith Steegmuller, Francis, 1906- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
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