Sophia Delza
| Sophia Delza | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1903 Brooklyn, New York City, USA |
| Died | June 27, 1996 (aged 92) New York City, USA |
| Alma mater | Hunter College |
| Occupation | dancer, choreographer, martial artist |
| Spouse(s) | A. Cook Glassgold |
Sophia Delza Glassgold (1903 – June 27, 1996), born Sophie Hurwitz, was an American modern dancer, choreographer, author, and practitioner of Wu-style tai chi, which she taught at her school in New York City. She authored the first English language book on tai chi, T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Body and Mind in Harmony. Through her books, articles, lectures, and television appearances, Delza promoted the practice of tai chi for health and fitness, and was one of the earliest popularizers of Chinese martial arts in the United States.
Delza was born in Brooklyn into a Jewish family. She was a sibling of documentary filmmaker Leo Hurwitz, and psychoanalyst Marie Briehl. She initially learned to dance from her sister, Elizabeth Delza, who also went on to a successful career as a dancer. She performed with her sister at the Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1920s. In 1924, she graduated with a degree in science from Hunter College and entered graduate school at Columbia University. She later travelled to Paris to continue her studies in dance.
After returning to the United States, Delza worked in vaudeville, and in stage and film productions. She danced opposite James Cagney in the Grand Street Follies of 1928. She also studied Spanish dance and received a grant to study folk dance forms in Mexico. When Anna Sokolow's Dance Unit needed a new space to rehearse in, Delza made her studio on West 16th Street available to them. In 1937, after the Spanish Civil War broke out, Delza created two anti-fascist works, We Weep for Spain and We March for Spain. She also performed in a "Dances for Spain" concert at the Adelphi Theatre that year, alongside fellow modern dancers Sokolow and Helen Tamiris.
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