We care about Doris Humphrey
because she was an open-minded artist who looked to the future of dance, while
still honoring those who came before her.
She was very appreciative of
her time spent with Denishawn, and used her success with them as a springboard
for her career. She was a smart
dancer who used research to make gains within the field, rather than sit back
and be told what to do. Her theory
on fall and recovery, which led to her codified technique, was greatly
influenced by the ideas of German philosopher Frederick Nietzche. Her technique is still taught today.
Her collaborations with
other artists shaped what Modern Dance is today. Her willingness to work with her former student, Jose Limon,
as artistic director of his company demonstrated how humble she was. The Limon Dance Company is one the few
Modern Dance companies which is still performing today. There success is at least partially due
to Doris Humphrey's Artistic Directorship during their early years. Additionally, she worked with Martha
Hill and others to start the dance department at Juilliard, which is still a
wildly successful education program.
I believe that her largest
gift to the future of dance was her book, “The Art of Making Dance”. Published in 1958, the year she passed
away, this book is still widely considered a must read for any dancer or
choreographer. This text is
usually used in dance composition classes, but can also be utilized by other
art forms.
Doris Humphrey's legacy
makes her nearly impossible to not care about. In addition to her technique, and her book, Doris Humphrey's
stamp on dance is still visible in many other places. The Limon Dance Company, MOMENTA, The Juilliard School, and
many other dance companies and colleges continue to perform her repertoire. Her theory on fall and recovery as well
as well as the compositional tools outlines in her book can be seen in the
works of: Jose Limon, Trisha Brown, Pina Bausch, and many other choreographers. Many of her compositional tools, are
even used in improvisation based work.
It is no surprise that
someone as hard working and smart as Doris Humphrey experienced such success
both during and after her time on earth.
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