Modern History Timeline
Anna Sokolow
- Studied under Graham
- Political in nature and style
- Developed a school in Mexico City
Hanya Holm
Sybil Shearer
Charles Weidman
- Studied dance later in her life
- Came to America and adapted European modern dance to line up with American ideals
- Similar to pure dance, focusing on horizontals and verticals
- Product of Humphrey Weidman
- Mixed the sacred and the secular in her dances
- From Lincoln Nebraska
- Did a lot of mime and character work
- Co-founded the Humphrey Weidman Co.
1940s and On
Eleanor King
- Modern dance transitions from experimental to a respected dance form
- An emphasis on technical skills
- Move from art to technology:
- Natural daily movements
- Kinetic gravity
- Dances choreographed by chance (rolling dice)
- Audiences want art and technology
Jose Limon
- Product of the Humphrey Weidman
- Choreography was based on literature
Isadora Duncan
- Product of Humphrey Weidman
- Mexican Heritage influence
Pearl Lang
- Not initially popular in America
- Influenced by America
- Not particularly innovative or technically skilled
- First to dance without shoes
- She was a feminist
- Studied under Graham and took over some of her solos later in Graham's life
- Established the Pearl Lang Dance Theatre
- Kept a similar style to Graham but explored more areas of content
Turn of the Century to 1900
Ruth St. Denis
- Dance was for entertainment purposes only until...
- A new generation of dancers explored the relationship between body and soul
- As well as capturing the essence of the American experience.
- Loved to make a spectacle with dance
- Background in musical theatre and vaudeville
- Known for her work Radha, a dance inspired by Indian Spirituality
Loie Fuller
Ted Shawn
Doris Humphrey
- Not a trained dancer
- Had natural talent
- Electrical lights were a new technology that she played with to use color to create a new dance experience.
- Started dancing as a form of physical therapy after an illness
- Partnered with and eventually married St. Denis
- Together they opened a dance school together called Denishawn
- Later went on to open an all male dance company
Martha Graham
Erick Hawkins
- Fit the mold of dancers at Denishawn
- Choreographer and teacher
- Dances without music
- Shows breath, movement, fall and recovery
- Ballet background
- 1st man to join Graham's company
- Married Martha Graham for 2 years
- Gave men prominence in modern dance
- Started dancing at Denishawn
- Succeeded not through talent, but through hard work
- Discovered a new breathing technique including contractions and releases that fed into her dance style
- Established the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in NYC
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