Doris Humphrey
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Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 - December 29, 1958) was a famous dancer of the early twentieth century. She was born in Oak Park, Illinois but grew up in Chicago, Illinois; she was a descendant of Pilgrim William Brewster and Simon James Humphrey.
In Chicago, she both studied and taught dance, opening her own dance school in 1913 at the age of eighteen.
In 1917 moved to California and entered the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, where she studied, performed, taught classes, and learned choreography. Her compositions from this era, "Valse Caprice" ("Scarf Dance"), "Soaring", and "Scherzo Waltz" ("Hoop Dance") are all still performed today. Humphrey toured the Orient for two years, followed by a successful career in American vaudeville theaters.
In 1928, she and fellow dancer Charles Weidman separated from the Denishawn School and moved to New York, to become key figures in the modern dance movement. Her choreography explored the nuances of the human body's responses to gravity, and many dance critics discuss the importance of "the fall and the recovery" in her work. Her chorepgraphy from these years includes "Water Study," "Life of the Bee," "Two Ecstatic Themes," and "The Shakers."
The Humphrey-Weidman Company was successful even in the darkness of the Great Depression, touring America and developing new styles and new works based not on old tales, but on current events and concerns. Humphrey created a trilogy entitled "Theatre Piece," as well as "With My Red Fires" and "New Dance."
One of her last pieces, "Dawn in New York," featured the strengths she demonstrated throughout her career -- her mastery of the intricacies of large groups, and her emphasis on sculptural shapes.
Humphrey retired from performing in 1945, conceding to the ravages of arthritis. However, she took up the position of artistic director and choreographer for the Jose Limon Company, with works including "Day on Earth," "Night Spell," and "Ruins and Visions."
Shortly before her death, in 1958, Humphrey published the book The Art of Making Dances (ISBN 0871271583), in which she shared her observations and theories on modern dance. In the introduction, she observed that in the twentieth century, the demure and airy ballet had changed radically. "Suddenly the dance," she said, "the Sleeping Beauty, so long reclining in her dainty bed, had risen up with a devouring desire."
External link
- dorishumphrey.org (http://www.dorishumphrey.org/)