Tag: dance history

Agrippina Vaganova: The Queen of Codified Ballet Technique

Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951) transformed ballet training, melding French Romanticism and Italian strength and athleticism with Russian expressivity. The publication of her book, Basic Principles of Classical Ballet, systemized her technique that is now the foundation for ballet schools all over the world. Vaganova was born in St. Petersburg with ballet already in her blood: Her […]

Marian Chace: America’s first professional dance therapist

“The body never lies,” Martha Graham famously said. With these four words and her stage work, Graham brilliantly countered the fixed belief that the body and mind are separate entities. Inspired by this revolutionary view, Marian Chace (1896–1970), who briefly studied with Graham, began exploring the mind-body interrelationship on a very different stage—the wards of […]

Celebrating Donald McKayle: His Choreography Shed Light On Social Injustice

Choreographer, dancer, and teacher Donald McKayle established a strong foothold for dancers of color by creating work that commented on social injustices, challenged racial norms, and conveyed the Black experience. As a member of the politically active dance collective New Dance Group in the late 1940s, he developed an emotionally rich choreographic style inspired by […]

Alwin Nikolais: Multimedia Dance Pioneer

Alwin Nikolais, or “Nik,” as he was known, considered himself an artistic polygamist. He is best known for his multimedia approach to dance, using electronic scores, special-effects lighting and elaborate costumes and props in his pieces. But he also paved the way for abstract modern dance. Before him, modern dance explored emotional and psychological states, […]

How Hanya Holm Brought German Expressionism to America

Hanya Holm was a catalyst in America’s early modern dance scene, first ushering in her teacher Mary Wigman’s German expressionistic dance and later bringing modern dance concepts to Broadway choreography. Holm is known as one of the “Big Four” of modern dance along with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. Born Johanna Eckert in […]

Vaslav Nijinsky: Pioneer of Contemporary Ballet

The indelible ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky helped usher in a new era of ballet. As a leading dancer for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, he redefined the male presence in classical ballet, bringing athleticism and range to what had previously been a supporting role. His controversial choreographic works are now considered some of the […]

Anna Sokolow: Choreographer for Social Justice

Originally published in print August 2015 Anna Sokolow (1910–2000) was a prolific choreographer fiercely committed to social justice and unafraid to deal with difficult subjects in her work—like war, poverty, isolation and strife. Born in Connecticut to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Sokolow moved to New York City as a child and studied dance at an after-school […]

Renee Robinson Is on a Mission to Get Dancers Excited About Dance History

For the up-and-coming generation, dance history doesn’t always sound like the most exciting course. But for students at The Ailey School, former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer Renee Robinson is bringing enthusiasm to the class by helping her students make personal connections to the past. Robinson’s training began with classical ballet at 9 years […]