Elizabeth Metzger at the Isadora Duncan Dance Company in a red May dress by Batsheva.
The Isadora Duncan Prompt
“the shape of Isadora’s scarves in August wind”
–Lucie Brock-Broido
In February, Elizabeth and I went to the Isadora Duncan Dance Company for their collaborative performance with the fashion designer Batsheva. The Isadora Duncan dancers wore glorious Batsheva creations while moving ethereally through the space.
Something important to dancer Isadora Duncan was the scarf. At one point during the performance, the dancers invited the audience to join them in dancing with scarves. The whole effect was magical.
It reminded me of when I used to teach music and movement to preschool students. We’d give each child a small gauzy scarf in a bright color and allow them to see how their various movements would affect the fabric. We would each model the act of scrunching up the light scarves in both of our hands like a flower and then release it. The children would often gasp at the beauty of their scarf blooming into a flower.
Try the below PROMPT if you like combining clothing and movement with your writing practice.
1. Find your favorite scarf. If you don’t have one, visit your local thrift store or look online for one that catches your eye. If you don’t want to do this, another option is to cut some old sheets or towels up and make the pieces into a scarf.
2. Wear your scarf for three days, with three different outfits. Each day take note of how you are feeling while wearing it.
3. At home, turn on a song that is gentle and makes you think of the wind. Dance around with your scarf.
4. The next day go outside and dance around with your scarf somewhere like a park or even your backyard, if you have one. Hum the song from #3 to yourself as you dance around and move with your scarf. Think of two verbs.
5. Write down an 18-line dialogue between the two verbs from #4.
6. Now imagine a play in your hometown. What happens there? Take notes.
7. Write down at least two characters that will be in your play. Sketch them in your notes. You can draw them and also write down details about them.
8. Write the first page of your play. Anything can happen, but someone must wear your favorite scarf. Describe the scarf in great detail and embellish it in any way that you wish, even and especially if it is not exactly how your scarf is in real life.
9. Now turn this first page into a poem that is at least two pages long. It must include the two verbs from #4 and also a dancer.
10. Title the poem: “My Wish.”
11. Read the poem aloud and may something good you wish for deeply come true.
Dorothea Lasky is the author of several books, including the forthcoming MEMORY. She is currently writing a book about Sappho. She teaches poetry at Columbia University School of the Arts and is a co-editor of PROMPT.