The Drama of Denishawn Dance

This is a unique record of the work of the Denishawn Dance Company gathered and written by a former dancer of the Company itself. The dances of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn had a major influence on the development of modern American dance, informing the work of such great figures as Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Louis Horst, and Pauline Lawrence. Yet until now no single volume has contained detailed descriptions of these seminal Denishawn dances. There exist few film records and few choreographic notes for most of the fifty-six Denishawn works described in this book. A member of Denishawn from 1925-1928, Jane Sherman gives us a firsthand look at the many works of art the Denishawn Company produced. This is the first and only record of some of the dances that Denishawn performed.

Drawing not only on her own memory, notes, files, pictures, and memorabilia, but also on the memories of other surviving Denishawn personalities, photographs, archives, films, and current Denishawn revivals, Jane Sherman has created vivid verbal pictures of the dances as they were originally performed. Each description emphasizes the theatrical essence of the dance—its mood, music, set, story, costume, lighting, and, where possible, step-by-step choreography. The date of origin and first performance, choreographer, performers, composer, critical reviews, and anecdotes are also cited.

For the dancer and the dance enthusiast, the choreographer and the dance historian, the dance teacher and the student, The Drama of Denishawn Dance will be an invaluable source of information that keeps alive the great tradition begun by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn.