Dance quiz #3 Denishawn – Flashcards

Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan

-Born in New Jersey in 1877 -Took only three dance lessons from Italian ballerina, Madam Bonfanti -Interested in theater (toured as an actress, skirt dancer and toe dancer) -interested in Egyptian dance in 1904 -created first Egyptian/Hindu dance production ballet "Radha" in 1906 -"Radha" (authentic costumes with oriental flavored music, became instantly popular) -St. Denis toured with "Radha" on Vaudeville circuit in the U.S., British Isles and Europe -Created many other exotic dances (The Nautch Dance, The Yogi and O-Mika) -Based on Japanese drama -Colorful theatricality (influenced by Loie Fuller) -Different stage lights and veils for the costumes -Greatly influenced by spiritual quality and emotional force of Isadora Duncan

Ruth St. Denis

Ruth St. Denis

-Greatly influenced by spiritual quality and emotional force of Isadora Duncan -St. Denis watched Duncan's dance in 1900 in London ("Duncan as having a divine inheritance from ancient Greece and as being the embodiment of cosmic rhythm")

-in 1914 Ruth St. Denis married Ted Shawn (founded Denishawn) -Denishawn remained together as a team until 1932

-Born in Kansas City in 1891 -entered college in Denver to study for the ministry -Studied dance as remedial exercise -Entered the field professionally -First male dancer to achieve a high level of recognition/technique in modern dance -Met St. Denis while touring the country

-Founded in 1915 by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Los Angeles -Toured San Francisco, Oregon and New York Shawn's suggestion -opening dance institution as a dual-purpose -Needed a financial income and educating ideas of new Modern dance -St. Denis and Shawn opened school with an education of ballet, modern, ballroom, pedagogy and choreography -Increased number of other branches of schools -Many teachers from the Denishawn school in smaller cities throughout the country -St. Denis and Shawn choreographed and staged many of vaudeville pieces

Ted Shawn

End of Denishawn in 1929 marriage crisis as well as the economy

-Ted Shawn's second dance company "Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers" -Shawn's vision of American male dancers -Make America accept the importance of the male dancer's role, as well as his importance in the dance -Most of Shawn's works stressed and celebrated the male body movement

Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn

Ted Shawn founded the Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts

-a dance school, retreat, and theater -Shawn and his dance group used this space as a performance space -developed into the festival that is one of the largest dance festival until today, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

-Filled with theatrical appeal -great use of color, light, scenery and exotic costuming -Great preoccupation with religious themes and mysticism -Movements based on ethnic based works (not authentically traditional) -Provided exotic styles of dance than ballet

-Less mystic and more analytical -Considerable respect for technical training in dance -Created Shawn's men's company and Jacob's Pillow Dance School -Focused on the need to develop male dancers -Obtained recognition for dancing as a worthy art for men (in the U.S. on concert stage and in colleges and universities) -Made widespread use of American theme-early pioneers, the Indians and the American Negro -Xochitl -Shawn's production of Aztec theme (stylized movement with ancient Mexican reliefs) -St. Denis and Shawn conducted intensive research for the production -Labor Symphony and Kinetic Molpai less literal -Vigorous and abstract representation of primitive forces and masculine vigor

-Brought tremendous influence on the youth of America -Seriously regarded dance was European/greatest American dancers like Isadora Duncan spent major part of their careers in Europe -Provided a training ground for the great modern dancers (Martha Graham, Doris humphrey and Charles Weidman -leading Denishawn dancers

Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman

1906

The Nautch Dance, The Yogi and O-Mika) -Based on Japanese drama Indian dance

Martha Graham

Technicality, using a legitimate system, and the need for ballet to explore the rest of dance

Xochitl, Labor Symphony, Kinetic Molpai