Ruth st. Denis and Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn - 1891 - 1972
Ruth st. Denis - 1879 - 1968
Ruth st. Denis - 1879 - 1968
DenishawnRuth St. denis was born in 1879 and died in 1968. Ted Shawn was born in 1891 and died in 72. Denis and Shawn were married in 1914. Denis was raised on a farm in New Jersey. Her mother had a medical degree and her father was a mechanist. Before dancing Denis was an artist. In her early years Denis performed in vaudeville as a skirt dancer. She was known as “The Only Ruth”. When Denis emerged as a solo artist she started to refer to herself as Ruth St. Denis.
Shawn studied at the university of Colorado. He studied christian ministry but in his third year he fell seriously ill with diphtheria. It was a long recovery, he had to learn how to walk again and he needed to rebuild his muscles so he started dancing. In 1912 Shawn moved to LA and formed a dance school. Denis’s was Inspiration to choreograph dances was by contradicting elements. Shawn was inspired by american culture, aboriginal, folk and pop culture. Shawn wanted men and women from different ethnic backgrounds to dance. and join his school. Shawn was one of the first men to earn national recognition for dance Denis and shawn created Denishawn Dance together in 1915. The company toured the USA in 1915 to 1931 and had many of the most influential modern dancers in the world. Some of the companies most influential students were Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. Shawn founded Jacobs pillow- a dance venue held in North America. Some of the dances choreographed or performed were Cuadro, The Feather of the Dawn and choeur. Shawn created a technique that was based on thematic material. His technique included lots of masculine movements. Shawn influenced different ethnic cultures into dance and choreographed dances that were suitable for churches. Denishawn elevated the American Dance form. |