Margaret H'Doubler
Encyclopedia
Margaret Newell H’Doubler (April 26, 1889, Beloit, Kansas
– 1982) created the first dance major at the University of Wisconsin. Her dance pedagogy was a blend of expressing emotions and scientific description. She used her knowledge about the body to help create movement to express what the dancers were feeling, and wrote five books about her pedagogy and about the importance of dance in education. Among her students was Anna Halprin
when Halprin was a student at University of Wisconsin in 1938.
In May 1916, H’Doubler left to attend Columbia University
Teachers College for graduate work in philosophy and aesthetics. Before leaving, Blanch Trilling, director of the department, gave her an assignment to find a new dance form to teach at the university. After struggling to find a dance form she enjoyed, she met a music teacher, Alys Bentley. Bentley would have her students move in relation to music. She had her students lie on the floor, and this is where H’Doubler finally figured out what type of movement intrigued her. The two things she realized was that “students made their own movement” and “being on the floor you’re away from the pull of gravity”
After discovering her theory of teaching dance she wrote a book Manual of Dancing: Suggestions and Bibliography for the Teacher of Dancing in 1921. Her fourth book, Dance: A Creative Art Experience was published in 1940. In this book she explains her theory of dance pedagogy about the expression of one owns thoughts and feelings through dance. She states that the technique is “training the mind to use the body as an expressive instrument”. She explains how the teachers’ ability to inspire confidence in the students so they will not be afraid of what they will reveal when expressing their own feelings through dance. In this book she includes her web of principles of composition: Climax, Transition, Balance, Sequence, Repetition, Harmony, Variety and Contrast.
In 1918 H’Doubler developed a group of dancers called Orchesis
, which is Greek for expressive gesture. The University of Wisconsin opened Lathrop Hall in 1921, which was a studio devoted to dance. This was also the first university to develop dance courses. In 1926, her collaboration with Dean Sellery and the faculty of the School of Education they developed the first curriculum to establish dance as a major.
H’Doubler's approach to dance education was to “enable each individual to live as fully as possible” and “educational process must be based upon scientific facts concerning the nature of human life”. She believed focusing on a kinesthetic center of thinking and teaching. She taught three phases, the first phase is feedback which she describes as bringing information from the muscles, joints, and tendons. The second phase is associative which takes place in the brain. The third phase is feed-forward, and this is the process of sending messages back to the muscles.
. After receiving a four million dollar donation in 1998 the University of Wisconsin renovated Lathrop Hall and renamed it the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space.
Many described H’ Doubler as a philosopher, scientist and artist. “Grounded perspective (philosophy), is of foremost importance followed by understanding a rigorous conceptual framework (science) and then by creative vision and interest (art)”.
Moving lessons : Margaret H'Doubler and the beginning of dance in American education by Janice Ross( Book )
Margaret H'Doubler : the legacy of America's dance education pioneer : an anthology( Book )
To want to dance : a biography of Margaret H'Doubler by Judith Anne Gray( Book )
Dance on Anna Halprin( Visual )
The development of modern dance in higher education with an emphasis on the contributions and influences of Margaret H'Doubler by Patti Nestor Cox( Book )
Beloit, Kansas
Beloit is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,835.- History :...
– 1982) created the first dance major at the University of Wisconsin. Her dance pedagogy was a blend of expressing emotions and scientific description. She used her knowledge about the body to help create movement to express what the dancers were feeling, and wrote five books about her pedagogy and about the importance of dance in education. Among her students was Anna Halprin
Anna Halprin
Anna Halprin helped pioneer the experimental art form known as postmodern dance and referred to herself as the breaker of modern dance. Halprin, along with her contemporaries such as Trisha Brown, Simone Forti, Yvonne Rainer, John Cage, and Robert Morris, collaborated and built a community based...
when Halprin was a student at University of Wisconsin in 1938.
Background Information
Margaret H’Doubler was born April 26, 1889 in Beloit, Kansas to Charles and Sarah H’Doubler. In 1903 the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin because Margaret’s older brother got accepted to the University of Wisconsin to study math and biology. She looked up to her brother, because she also had an interest in biology. She graduated from Madison High School in 1906 where she participated in basketball and baseball She then also attended the University of Wisconsin to major in biology and minor in philosophy. In 1910, she graduated and was given a job as an assistant instructor teaching basketball, baseball and swimming. These courses were under the newly established Department of Physical Education for Women.In May 1916, H’Doubler left to attend Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Teachers College for graduate work in philosophy and aesthetics. Before leaving, Blanch Trilling, director of the department, gave her an assignment to find a new dance form to teach at the university. After struggling to find a dance form she enjoyed, she met a music teacher, Alys Bentley. Bentley would have her students move in relation to music. She had her students lie on the floor, and this is where H’Doubler finally figured out what type of movement intrigued her. The two things she realized was that “students made their own movement” and “being on the floor you’re away from the pull of gravity”
Dance Pedagogy
H’Doubler began teaching dance in the summer of 1917. She described dance as an art and science which formed her foundation. Her theory of dance was viewed as acceptable because it was feminine and aesthetic. She taught exercises based on her idea of natural body movement, this was movement that did not require formal dance technique. She started with her students on the floor and then progressed to standing positions. She was also interested in how the body would react to the “structural changes of position of the body” and “self generated creativity”. She wanted her students to express their own ideas and feelings through movement. She would often ask them to describe their movements in scientific terms.After discovering her theory of teaching dance she wrote a book Manual of Dancing: Suggestions and Bibliography for the Teacher of Dancing in 1921. Her fourth book, Dance: A Creative Art Experience was published in 1940. In this book she explains her theory of dance pedagogy about the expression of one owns thoughts and feelings through dance. She states that the technique is “training the mind to use the body as an expressive instrument”. She explains how the teachers’ ability to inspire confidence in the students so they will not be afraid of what they will reveal when expressing their own feelings through dance. In this book she includes her web of principles of composition: Climax, Transition, Balance, Sequence, Repetition, Harmony, Variety and Contrast.
In 1918 H’Doubler developed a group of dancers called Orchesis
Orchesis Dance Company: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Orchesis Dance Company is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's on-campus dance troupe that is affiliated with the Theatre and Dance Department. It is composed of approximately thirty students, alumni, and staff...
, which is Greek for expressive gesture. The University of Wisconsin opened Lathrop Hall in 1921, which was a studio devoted to dance. This was also the first university to develop dance courses. In 1926, her collaboration with Dean Sellery and the faculty of the School of Education they developed the first curriculum to establish dance as a major.
H’Doubler's approach to dance education was to “enable each individual to live as fully as possible” and “educational process must be based upon scientific facts concerning the nature of human life”. She believed focusing on a kinesthetic center of thinking and teaching. She taught three phases, the first phase is feedback which she describes as bringing information from the muscles, joints, and tendons. The second phase is associative which takes place in the brain. The third phase is feed-forward, and this is the process of sending messages back to the muscles.
Legacy
H’ Doubler retired from the university in 1954. She continued to be a guest speaker and teach master classes until her death in 1982. In 1963 she was a Heritage Award recipient of the National Dance AssociationNational Dance Association
The , headquartered in Reston, VA, is an association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance...
. After receiving a four million dollar donation in 1998 the University of Wisconsin renovated Lathrop Hall and renamed it the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space.
Many described H’ Doubler as a philosopher, scientist and artist. “Grounded perspective (philosophy), is of foremost importance followed by understanding a rigorous conceptual framework (science) and then by creative vision and interest (art)”.
External links
Most widely held works about Margaret Newell H'DoublerMoving lessons : Margaret H'Doubler and the beginning of dance in American education by Janice Ross( Book )
Margaret H'Doubler : the legacy of America's dance education pioneer : an anthology( Book )
To want to dance : a biography of Margaret H'Doubler by Judith Anne Gray( Book )
Dance on Anna Halprin( Visual )
The development of modern dance in higher education with an emphasis on the contributions and influences of Margaret H'Doubler by Patti Nestor Cox( Book )