Doris Humphrey October. 17, 1895 –December. 29, 1958

Early Life Humphrey was an avid and talented student of dance from a early age. Her parents encouraged her interest, and she was trained in several disciplines including Ballet. To help support family, Humphrey taught dance in Chicago area for four years after she graduated high school. She opened her own school in Oak Park in 1913, Where she taught ballroom dance, among other social and fancy dances, while her mother performed the piano Joined Denishawn dance school and company in Los Angeles known for Asian and exotic influences, Humphrey soon became the leading soloist.

Formed Humphrey-Weidman Dance Company Humphrey and Weidman left Denishawn to form their own school and company in 1928 called Humphrey-Weidman. They held classes in dance technique to pay for their productions of Humphrey's new choreography. Humphrey had spent much time studying the theory of movement and had developed her own concepts.

Philosophy of Dance Pioneer in American modern dance and an innovator in technique, choreography, and theory of dance movement. Wanted to create dances that reflected her individuality and were appropriate to contemporary America Believed that movement fell within the “ arc between two deaths,” or the range between motionless balance and falling imbalance incapable of recovery. She understood that every movement a dancer makes away from the centre of gravity has to be followed by a compensating readjustment to restore balance and prevent uncontrolled falling. She wished her dance to reflect some experiences of her own in relationship to the outside world: to be based on reality illumined by imagination: to be organic rather than synthetic.

Philosophy of Dance The more extreme and exciting the controlled fall attempted by the dancer, the more vigorous must be the recovery. She based much of her choreography on the principle of fall and recovery, the place between standing and the prone, motionless and unbalance. She based her choreography on feelings and physical states to create art. She abstracted the soul.. In the central concept of her choreography

Personal Life Humphrey’s company toured the United States in the 1930s, during this time her life changed in many ways. She was married to Charles Francis Woodford in June of 1932, a merchant seaman and had one son named Charles Humphrey Woodward a year later. Humphrey retired from performing in 1944 because of a arthritis in her Hip after choreographing the last piece she would publically performed called Inquest.

Professional Life Many of Humphrey’s early works were seen as original and distinctive. A number were inspired by nature and not done to music Her first major work was Sonata Tragica in (1925). A Water Study (1928) embodies her elements of “fall and recovery,” and Life of the Bee (1929) such works were simple and considered intelligent. The abstract Drama of Motion (1930), had no plot, sound, or costumes in the theatrical sense. In 1931 Humphrey choreographed The Shakers, which was performed to traditional Shaker music and used boxes to define the mood because Humphrey could not afford a set. Inquest (1944), a social protest and last work she performed, displayed her mastery of both abstraction and stylized gestures.

Later Life For thirteen years, despite discouragement, financial worries and constant pain, she persisted in exploring the depths of dance and human experience. Taught at the Bennington College of Dance in Vermont She also taught at Connecticut College’s American Dance Festival in 1948. She guided Jose Limon ( a Mexican dancer, who had danced with Humphrey in the Weidman company), Choreographing career and created major works for him like Story of Mankind (1947), Deep Rhythm (1953) & Ruins and Visions (1953). Helped form Juilliard School of Dance in 1952, here she taught creative composition and in 1955 founded the Juilliard Dance Theatre.

Legacy and Contributions Humphrey died of cancer on December 29, 1958 in New York City. Though she never made much money at what she did, she never compromised her values as a dancer and artist. Choreographed 97 Dances, some of which are still performed. After her death her book The Art of Making Dances (1959), explaining how she taught dance in a way that was easy to understand. Humphrey was working on her auto biography at the time of her death and was not published until 1972.

Work Citied http://www.answer.com/topic/doris- humphrey#ixzz1oTfWo2r8 The Dance Technique of Doris Humphrey and it’s creative Potential by: Stodelle, Eruestine www.dorishumphrey.org www.pitt.edu/~gills/dance/doris.html www.depts.washington.edu/uwdance/edu/archive