Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts
The Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts was a pivotal institution in the evolution of modern dance, founded by notable dancers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in the early 20th century. Initially a performance duo, St. Denis and Shawn established the school to train dancers and expand their artistic reach. By the 1920s, Denishawn had garnered national acclaim, producing renowned dancers like Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey, and attracting illustrious students from diverse backgrounds, including film icons such as Louise Brooks and Lillian Gish. The curriculum was rich and varied, incorporating elements from ballet, traditional folk dances, and cultural performances from around the world, reflecting a commitment to a holistic educational philosophy influenced by intellectuals like G. Stanley Hall and John Dewey.
Denishawn became a cultural phenomenon, with its dancers touring extensively across the United States and internationally, achieving significant audience reach. However, by the early 1930s, personal and professional strains between St. Denis and Shawn led to the school's decline, resulting in the dissolution of their partnership and the eventual closure of the company. Despite its eventual downfall, Denishawn's legacy endures, having profoundly influenced the perception of concert dance in America and contributing to the development of modern dance as an expressive art form. The ideals of inner expression and the transformative power of dance fostered at Denishawn continue to resonate in contemporary dance practices.
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Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts
Identification: Modern dance school
Date: Established 1915
The Denishawn School produced a number of well-known dancers of the 1920s and had a huge influence on the development of modern dance. The school featured its own company, the Denishawn Dancers, and by the late 1920s had established branches in cities throughout the United States.
Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn were both originally solo dance performers who met when St. Denis needed a male partner for her 1914 tour. Shawn won the job, and the two toured the Southeast together, performing ballroom dance routines as well as their own solos. They were married that same year.
In 1915, a Portland theater promoted their upcoming performance with a competition to rename the company. The winning entry, “The Denishawn Rose Mazurka,” inspired St. Denis and Shawn to change the name of their company to the Denishawn Dancers. They opened a school at a Los Angeles estate to train new company dancers and finance productions. The school’s center moved to New York City in 1920.
The Denishawn School attracted such illustrious students as dancers Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and the Dolly Sisters’ Roszika Deutsch, as well as film stars Louise Brooks, Lillian Gish, and Blanche Sweet. Its international curriculum included French, Italian, and Russian ballet, as well as traditional Greek, Spanish, Asian, and Native American dances. The theories of intellectuals G. Stanley Hall and John Dewey were important influences on Denishawn’s philosophy; Hall’s work on the interrelation of fields of study prompted the “Related Arts” part of the school’s name, and Dewey’s belief in learning as a process of growth and development led Shawn to label himself a gardener. St. Denis’s goal was for students to become the best versions of themselves.
Denishawn became a national cultural institution, rising to particular prominence between 1922 and 1925, and its students taught in authorized schools in a dozen cities. The company released its own films and even put out a short-lived magazine. The Denishawn Dancers traveled to Cuba, Canada, and every American state, and spent eighteen months on a tour of Asia. In 1925, they performed in 293 cities in front of more than one million fans.
Strains in the founders’ relationship ultimately led to Denishawn’s demise. They dissolved their partnership, both professional and personal, in 1931; by 1934, the company’s properties were in foreclosure. Following their separation, St. Denis and Shawn continued to pursue their respective dance careers.
Impact
Denishawn brought concert dance to the American consciousness, moving it into the realm of serious theater. St. Denis and Shawn trained dancers who became modern dance pioneers and actors who incorporated their movements into stage and film performances. Although time eventually eclipsed their style, their belief in the body’s ability to express inner life and the transcendent power of dance remains.
Bibliography
Shelton, Suzanne. Divine Dancer: A Biography of Ruth St. Denis. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981.
Sherman, Jane. Denishawn: The Enduring Influence. Boston, Mass.: Twayne, 1983.