Doris Humphrey
Encyclopedia
Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 – December 29, 1958) was a dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Humphrey was born in Oak Park, Illinois
but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Horace Buckingham Humphrey and Julia Ellen Wells and was a descendant of pilgrim William Brewster
. Along with her contemporaries, Martha Graham
and Katherine Dunham
, Humphrey was one of the second generation modern dance
pioneers, who followed their forerunners – including Isadora Duncan
, Ruth St. Denis
and Ted Shawn
– in exploring the use of breath and developing techniques still taught today. As a result of many of her works being annotated
, Humphrey continues to be taught, studied and performed to this day.
, opening her own dance school in 1913 at the age of 19. In 1917, she moved to California
and entered the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts
, where she studied, performed, taught classes, and learned choreography. Her creations 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.
separated from the Denishawn School and moved to New York City
, to become key figures in the modern dance
movement. Her choreography explored the nuances of the human body's responses to gravity, embodied in her principle of fall and recovery. Her choreography from these early 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. In the mid-1930s, Humphrey created the New Dance Trilogy, a triptych comprising With My Red Fires, New Dance, and the now-lost Theater Piece.
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 was on the original faculties of both The Bennington School of the Dance
(1934) and The Juilliard School (1951), both directed by Martha Hill
.
. She then took up the position of artistic director
for the José Limón Dance Company and continued to successfully choreograph with works such as Day on Earth, Night Spell, and Ruins and Visions.
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."
Humphrey was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame
in 1987.
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Horace Buckingham Humphrey and Julia Ellen Wells and was a descendant of pilgrim William Brewster
William Brewster (Pilgrim)
Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...
. Along with her contemporaries, Martha Graham
Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
and Katherine Dunham
Katherine Dunham
Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...
, Humphrey was one of the second generation modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
pioneers, who followed their forerunners – including Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
, Ruth St. Denis
Ruth St. Denis
Ruth St. Denis was an early modern dance pioneer.-Biography:Ruth St. Denis founded Adelphi University's dance program in 1938 which was one of the first dance departments in an American university...
and Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn , originally Edwin Myers Shawn, was one of the first notable male pioneers of American modern dance. Along with creating Denishawn with former wife Ruth St. Denis he is also responsible for the creation of the well known all-male company Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers...
– in exploring the use of breath and developing techniques still taught today. As a result of many of her works being annotated
Dance notation
Dance notation is the symbolic representation of dance movement. It is analogous to movement notation but can be limited to representing human movement and specific forms of dance such as Tap dance...
, Humphrey continues to be taught, studied and performed to this day.
Early life
In Chicago, she both studied and taught danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, opening her own dance school in 1913 at the age of 19. In 1917, she moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and entered the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts
Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts
The Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded in 1915 by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Los Angeles, California, helped many perfect their dancing talents. Some of the school's more notable pupils include Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Jack Cole, and silent film star...
, where she studied, performed, taught classes, and learned choreography. Her creations 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
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
theaters.
Dancing through the Great Depression
In 1928, she and fellow dancer Charles WeidmanCharles Weidman
Charles Weidman is a renowned choreographer, modern dancer and teacher. He is well known as one of the pioneers of Modern Dance in America. He wanted to break free from the traditional movements of dance forms popular at the time to create a uniquely American style of movement...
separated from the Denishawn School and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to become key figures in the modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
movement. Her choreography explored the nuances of the human body's responses to gravity, embodied in her principle of fall and recovery. Her choreography from these early years includes Water Study, Life of the Bee, Two Ecstatic Themes and The Shakers.
The Humphrey-Weidman
Humphrey-Weidman
Humphrey-Weidman is a modern dance technique based on the theory and action of fall and recovery. It originated in 1928 when Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman broke away from the Denishawn school and moved to New York City. There they pioneered modern dance in the United States by founding a dance...
Company was successful even in the darkness of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, touring America and developing new styles and new works based not on old tales, but on current events and concerns. In the mid-1930s, Humphrey created the New Dance Trilogy, a triptych comprising With My Red Fires, New Dance, and the now-lost Theater Piece.
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 was on the original faculties of both The Bennington School of the Dance
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
(1934) and The Juilliard School (1951), both directed by Martha Hill
Martha Hill
Martha Hill was one of the most influential American dance instructors in history. She was the first Director of Dance at the Juilliard School, and held that position for almost 35 years.-Biography:...
.
After retirement
Humphrey retired from performing in 1945, conceding to the ravages of arthritisArthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. She then took up the position of artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
for the José Limón Dance Company and continued to successfully choreograph with works such as Day on Earth, Night Spell, and Ruins and Visions.
Legacy
Shortly after her death in 1958, aged 63, Humphrey's book, The Art of Making Dances (ISBN 0-87127-158-3), in which she shared her observations and theories on dance and composition, was posthumously published. In the introduction, she observed that in the 20th century, the demure and airy balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
had changed radically. "Suddenly the dance," she said, "the Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
, so long reclining in her dainty bed, had risen up with a devouring desire."
Humphrey was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame
National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, in the Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga, New York, was established in 1986 and is the only museum in the nation dedicated entirely to dance. It contains photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes and biographies. The museum is located in the former and...
in 1987.
External links
- Doris Humphrey official website
- Doris Humphrey Foundation for Dance at Goucher CollegeGoucher CollegeGoucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
- Archive film of Doris Humphrey's Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías performed by Jose Limon in 1946 at Jacob's Pillow