Historical Events of Duncan and Humphrey

Born in 1877 Isadora Duncan was alive during many historical world events, most notably, World War I and the rise of the Soviet Union.  Despite Europe being her place of residence, Isadora was inspired by the freedom that America represented, which was especially evident during WW I.  In 1921 She was greatly influenced by the social and political revolution, which lead to the Soviet Union.  This led her to open a school in Moscow to “give her art in exchange for a free school”.  She was a revolutionist, and was of the belief that “all true artists are revolutionists”.  

Doris Humphrey was merely twenty-two years of age when Isadora passed away.  Doris took to teaching at the young age of eighteen because of the economy associated with World War I. In 1920 the 19^th Amendment was ratified, and women gained the right to vote. She lived through the Great Depression, and in 1938 choreographed Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor in response to it.  In 1931 Doris codified her theory of “Fall and Recovery” influenced by German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche, who was greatly interested in questioning doctrines.  In 1944 she choreographed Inquest, which is a social protest in response to WW II and the last work that she performed in. In 1958 she finished her book, "The Art of Making Dances," and passed away on December 29th. 

1887 - Isadora Duncan is born May 21th in San Fransisco
1897 - Doris Humphrey is born October 17th in Oak Park Chicago
1913 - Tragic death of Isadora Duncan's two children and nanny who drowned
1915 – Doris Humphrey opened a studio at age 18 for financial support

1917 – Doris Humphrey moved to LA to join Denishawn
1917 - April 6 the US enters WWI

1918 – End to WWI

1919 – Doris Humphrey Choreographs Valse Caprice
1921 - Isadora Duncan influenced by social and political revolution, eventually leading to the Soviet Union and establishes a school in Moscow
1922 - Isadora Duncan's last tour in U.S. 
1922 - Isadora Duncan marries Sergey Aleksandrovich Yesenin

1925 – Doris Humphrey choreographs to Edward McDowell’s Sonata Tragica; first dance performed without music
1925 - Isadora Duncan's husband commits sucide
1927 - Isadora Duncan passes away September 14th

1928 – Doris Humphrey leaves Denishawn with Charles Weidman and Paline Lawrence

1929 – Beginning of the Great Depression

1931 – Doris Humphrey codifies theory of “Fall and Recovery” influenced by German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche, choreographs The Shakers influenced by Shaker religion

1932 – Doris Humphrey marries Charles Francis Woodford

1933 – Doris Humphrey's birth of her son Charles Humphrey-Woodford

1934 – Doris Humphrey's first summer at Bennington College

1935 – Humphrey-Weidman is the first national tour by a modern dance company

1936 – Doris Humphrey choreographs New Dance considered her masterpiece

1939 – The Depression ends in the late 30s. Germany invades Poland

1941 – Attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States enters WWII

1944 – Dissolution of Humphrey-Weidman company, Doris retires from performing, choreographs Inquest which is a social protest and the last work that she performed

1945 – Sept. 2 official end to WWII

1946 – Doris Humphrey became the artistic director for Jose Limon Company

1951 – Doris Humphrey choreographs Night Spell  and helped start the department of dance at the Julliard School, joins the faculty

1952 – Doris Humphrey Founds Julliard Dance Theatre

1954 – Doris Humphrey wins the Capezio Award for outstanding contributions to modern dance

1958 – Finishes her book The Art of Making Dances, passes away Dec. 29 

1987 - Isadora Duncan is inducted into Dance Hall of Fame

Works Cited:

"About Isadora Duncan." About Isadora Duncan. Isadora Dance Foundation, 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.isadoraduncan.org/the-foundation/about-isadora-duncan>.

"Biography." The Doris Humphrey Society Biography Comments. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. <http://www.dorishumphrey.org/the-early-years/>

Lineage and Influences of Doris Humphrey

Doris Humphrey got her start at Denishawn, where she was a principle dancer.  After years with Miss Ruth and Ted Shawn, she became involved in her first of many public collaborations.  She became co-choreographer to Miss Ruth, and together with her choreographed works such as Soaring and Sonata Pathetique,which are still being staged and performed today. While she certainly valued her time with Denishawn, it inspired her to go in a completely different direction with her choreographic career. 

In 1928 She took her departure from Denishawn along with Charles Weidman.  They started the Humphrey-Weidman company and studio, and worked together until it's dissolution in 1944.  Doris and Charles were both interested in exploring beyond the exotic and superficial world of Denishawn.  Instead, choosing to investigate dances without the frill, even choreographing works that were unaccompanied by music.  Additionally, both Humphrey and Weidman collaborated with Pauline Laurence, who left Denishawn with them.  She served as the receptionist, accompanist, business manager, and costume designer for Humphrey-Weidman. 

Perhaps Humphrey's best demonstration of working with a fellow artist is with Jose Limon.  Limon was a Humphrey-Weidman dancer who, after enlisting, started his own company.  Doris, after retiring from her career as a dancer, became the artistic director and a choreographer for Jose's company.  It was with the Limon company  that Doris choreographed famous works such as Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias, and Day on Earth.  It is no surprise that an artist who contributed so much to the world of dance was truly open to collaboration. 

"José Limón and Pauline Lawrence Limón Photograph Files 1910?-1972?" José Limón and Pauline Lawrence Limón Photograph Files. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://archives.nypl.org/dan/19737>.

A preview of Humphrey's "Day on Earth."

Lineage and Influences of Isadora Duncan

“According to Isadora the development of her dance was natural phenomenon.” (1) She believed that in her movement she rediscovered natural beauty, tendency, and form. In her younger years she spent most of her time outdoors playing. She did not like school because she believed it impeded her experiencing nature. Isadora’s Mother played the piano and had an affinity for the music of Beethoven, Schumann, Mozart and Chopin. Her mother also exposed Duncan to the work of Shakespeare, Shelley, Keats and Burns at a young age. These things made her well versed in the Romantic Era of time. Isadora also gained her mother’s sense of rebelliousness against the Puritanical and Victorian strictures regarding the role of women, marriage and childbearing, fashion and education. Isadora also studied Rosseau, Nietzche, Darwin, and Haeckel. She visited countless museums to study all forms of art so that she was well versed in all forms.

Later in life, when she lived in Germany, Duncan was introduced to the philosophy of Frederick Nietzsche, and soon after that she began to formulate her own philosophy of dance. In 1903 she delivered a speech in Berlin called "The Dance of the Future." In it she argued that the dance of the future would be similar to the dance of the ancient Greeks, natural and free. “Duncan accused the ballet of "deforming the beautiful woman's body" and called for its abolition. She ended her speech by stating that "the dance of the future will have to become again a high religious art as it was with the Greeks. For art which is not religious is not art, is mere merchandise." It was during this period that Duncan began clarifying her theory of natural dance, identifying the source of the body's natural movement in the solar plexus.” (2) This speech showed her support for the women’s movement, as well as showed her supported for dance as a necessary part of children’s education and a means of living a healthy life.

Isadora collaborated with many artist of her time, she was influenced by their artwork and used literature, philosophy, and music to choreographer her dances. “Water Study” is one of Isadora’s choreographed works to Romantic era composer, Franz Schubert. Within the dance, the dancer is representing water and becoming water. In all of Isadora's dances, there are multiple layers of symbolism and expression. In response to Walt Whitman's famous poem “I See America Singing,” (Whitman was one of the many writers Isadora read and was inspired by) Isadora wrote an article entitled “I See America Dancing.” “She was also a muse of her time, inspiring many artists in their poems, sculptures, photos and paintings. Emile-Antoine Bourdelle used Isadora as his inspiration for the famous bas relief on the Champs Elysees in Paris. And Isadora almost single-handedly inspired the formation of the Ballet Russes in Russia after her 1905 visit… it manifested many of Isadora's ideas about dance, music and staging to work together to express more meaningful themes.” (3)

Isadora's dances allowed for exploration of the human condition, as an artist, rather than of simple storytelling. Many of her works expressed loneliness, sacrifice, ecstasy, pilgrimage, and self-discovery. It was rare for this time that movement represented feeling instead of a story; this is why Duncan was such a revolutionist. She showed how movement could be used for expression of the self not just a representation. Isadora was a modern artist of her time. She was grounded in Romantic ideals and influenced an entire generation. Though her life was more than 100 years ago her influence on the world of movement is still seen today.

Works Cited:

1. "About Isadora Duncan." About Isadora Duncan. Isadora Duncan Foundation, 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. <http://www.isadoraduncan.org/the- foundation/about-isadora-duncan>.

2. "Chapter 2: The Solo Dancers." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. <http://www.pitt.edu/~gillis/dance/isadora.html>.

3. Durham, Valerie. "Isadora Duncan: Child of the Romantic, Rebel of the Victorian, Consummate Artist of the Modern." Duncandancers. Annapolis Maryland, 2007. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. <http://www.duncandancers.com/romanticism.html>.