The Bennington School of the Dance History Quiz

Film still from A New Dance For America: The Choreography, Teachings and Legacy of Doris Humphrey

The Bennington School of the Dance

1) Who was the director of The Bennington School of the Dance?

2) What were the years of The Bennington School of the Dance?

3) Name 4 major choreographers of the time period who were on faculty at The Bennington School of the Dance.

4) Name 2 students who attended the school and later became well-known dance figures.

5) Where on campus did students dance outside, and according to Hill, why did it cause a stir amongst the townspeople?

6) What style of dance was the primary focus of The Bennington School of the Dance?

7) Name one of Doris Humphrey's famous works that premiered at Bennington in 1938.

8) Who made up the largest percentage of the student body at The Bennington School of the Dance?

9) Why did The Bennington School of the Dance end, and what festival that is still active today carried on its spirit?

10) What ballet company was invited to perform the Bennington Festival in 1936 and 1937?

Bonus: Name two great modern dancers of the time period who were not part of The Bennington School of the Dance.

Answers:

1) Martha Hill 2) 1934-1942 3) Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman 4) Alwin Nikolais and Merce Cunningham 5) Commons Lawn; They were thought of as a nudist colony, because they were dncing outside in flesh-colored leotards. 6) Modern 7) Passacaglia in C minor 8) Female college and K-12 physical education teachers 9) World War II meant that the resources of the college and community needed to be used in other ways.; American Dance Festival 10) Lincoln Kirstein’s Ballet Caravan 11) Katherine Dunham and Helen Tamiris

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Film still courtesy of Windhover Center