Ted Shawn
| Ted Shawn | |
|---|---|
Ted Shawn, c. 1918,
photographed by Arthur F. Kales |
|
| Born |
Edwin Myers Shawn October 21, 1891 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 1972 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Dancer |
Ted Shawn (21 October 1891 – 9 January 1972), 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. With his innovative ideas of masculine movement, he is one of the most influential choreographers and dancers of his day. He is also the founder and creator of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts, and "was knighted by the King of Denmark for his efforts on behalf of the Royal Danish Ballet".
Ted Shawn was born in Kansas City, Missouri on October 21, 1891. Originally intending to become a minister of religion, he attended the University of Denver. While attending the University, he caught diphtheria at the age of 19 causing him temporary paralysis from the waist down. It was during his physical therapy for the disease that Shawn was first introduced to dance by way of studying with Hazel Wallack in 1910, a former dancer with the Metropolitan Opera. In 1912, Shawn relocated to Los Angeles where he became part of an exhibition ballroom dance troupe.
It wasn't until moving to New York in 1914 that Shawn realized his true potential as an artist upon meeting Ruth St. Denis. The two were married within 2 months on August 13th, 1914. St. Denis served not only as partner but an extremely valuable creative outlet to Shawn. Both artists believed strongly in the potential for dance as an art form becoming integrated into every day life. The combination of their mutual artistic vision as well as Shawn's business knowledge led to the couple opening the first Denishawn School in Los Angeles, California in1915, with the goal being to meld dance together with the body, mind and spirit.
Notable performances choreographed by him during Denishawn's 17-year run include Invocation to the Thunderbird" (1917), the solo Danse Americaine, performed by Charles Weidman (1923), Julnar of the Sea, Xochitl performed by Martha Graham (1920) and Les Mysteres Dionysiaques. In addition to spawning the careers of Weidman and Graham, the Denishawn school also housed Doris Humphrey as a student.
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