Critical Review from New York Times

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1D6113FF93AA25753C1A963958260

The X-Factor of Doris Humphrey

At first, there was Isadora Duncan, who traded in her ballet garb to find her own style fuelled by the need to express oneself. In 1906, which was less than 10 years after Duncan displayed her efforts to the world, Ruth St. Denis began her perfumed and exotic solos. These established her as a strong-willed professional and magical artist. After her came Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey, who were not only different from each other but from their predecessors as well. Indeed, Duncanites pay tribute to her to this day. St. Denis was a renowned performer who remains a legend to this day while Graham created dances right to the moment of her death.

Compared to this trio, Humphrey may have been lost. She created 97 dances in total, but only a handful are reenacted today (Humphrey 58). Her short career may be owing to her arthritis, which undoubtedly affected her movement though this may not be the only reason. The emphasis she placed on abstract dancing may have something to do with this phenomenon. It is true she simply was unrivaled by anyone else that in some of her pieces. However, her habit was to make rules of everything including how one should do this or that. Unfortunately for her, pioneers are known for breaking rules rather than making them.

Personal Opinion of Doris Humphrey

The relevance of Doris Humphrey, her contributions, and her ideologies cannot be understated. She once said that there is only one thing to dance about, the meaning on one’s experiences. These are wise words in and of their own, but they apply to everyone’s life regardless of the context. I believe that every person should try to find meaning within their existences, which is why her words resonate with me. Additionally, she was an innovator and left a legacy at her death, which lives on to today five and a half decades after her death. Everyone wonders whether their lives will be memorable, and this is testament that with skill, hard work, and a little luck, one needs not be forgotten when the grim reaper comes knocking.

At one point, Humphrey left Denishawn when she found herself in disagreement with the direction that school was taking. After leaving, she set up her school where she could go in the direction she felt suited her best. The decision speaks to the importance of being true to one’s self and the courage to follows one’s dreams. She must have been apprehensive about striking out on her own. She nonetheless broke free of the familiarity and comfort she had at Denishawn and went on to carve her path into the world. I find the move empowering and courageous that this legend chose to risk the possibility of failure and go her way to fulfill her desires. In today’s contemporary society, it is easy to let fear rule one’s way of living so much that people are willing to be unhappy simply for fear of the unknown.

Historical Context of Doris Humphrey

Historical Context

Humphrey was perhaps the most modern dancer of her time. Her dancing was so top notch that she was profitable even at the height of the recession when many people were struggling to keep their heads above water. Her success is attributable to her pioneer actions. Many critics consider her one of the innovators of modern dance. Her “fall and recovery” theory and the resulting technique for the theory were the foundations for her choreography and teaching methods (Main 92). The motivation behind this theory was the work of Fredrick Nietzsche, a German philosopher. He posited that there was a split in the human psyche between a person’s Dionysian side (emotional, chaotic) and their Apollonian side (intellectual, rational). The concept focused on the importance of relaxation and tension in the muscles to define core movement principles. Her dance vocabulary had its basis in the idea that any dance movement patterns fall in one of three divisions namely unison, succession, and opposition. Movement characteristics, on the other hand, fall into rest, sustained flow, and sharp accent. She also used music to help her interpret her own style. She was additionally vocal about the connection between music and movement. She emphasized the two element’s formal qualities such as dynamic, design, and structure.

Humphrey was perhaps the most modern dancer of her time. Her dancing was so top notch that she was profitable even at the height of the recession when many people were struggling to keep their heads above water. Her success is attributable to her pioneer actions. Many critics consider her one of the innovators of modern dance. Her “fall and recovery” theory and the resulting technique for the theory were the foundations for her choreography and teaching methods (Main 92). The motivation behind this theory was the work of Fredrick Nietzsche, a German philosopher. He posited that there was a split in the human psyche between a person’s Dionysian side (emotional, chaotic) and their Apollonian side (intellectual, rational). The concept focused on the importance of relaxation and tension in the muscles to define core movement principles. Her dance vocabulary had its basis in the idea that any dance movement patterns fall in one of three divisions namely unison, succession, and opposition. Movement characteristics, on the other hand, fall into rest, sustained flow, and sharp accent. She also used music to help her interpret her own style. She was additionally vocal about the connection between music and movement. She emphasized the two element’s formal qualities such as dynamic, design, and structure.

Humphrey with partner Charles Weidman

In “Variation on a Theme of Handel” and “Air for the G String,” she gave a physical existence to the music of Brahms and Bach. Her dancing was not intent on evoking a specific emotion or tell a story. Rather, her considerations in dancing were purely aesthetic. Such abstract ideologies on dancing and music are why many consider her the most modern of all modern dancers.

Fall and Recovery