Shawn the dancer

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SHAWN THE DANCER

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FLAMENCO DANCES

Ted SHAWN
Father of the Modern American Dance

HIGHLIGHTS OF TED SHAWN'S CAREER

☆ Founded with Ruth St. Denis the first American school of the dance.
☆ Produced the first major American dance company which toured successfully for 17 years.
☆ Founded the first all-male dance group which had repeated success during 9 years of nationwide touring.
☆ Founded Jacob's Pillow, the first University of the Dance in America.
☆ Wrote six authoritative books on the dance.
☆ Taught or influenced the dancing of Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Doris Humphrey, Jack Cole, Helen Tamiris and other celebrated dance artists.

PHOTOS BY CONSTANTINE


BARCAROLLE



THE MEVLEVERVISH




TODAY in the maturity of his consummate art, Ted Shawn continues to exert an influence in the world of contemporary dance that is at once profound, dynamic and refreshing.  As Walter Terry, eminent critic of the New York Herald Tribune recently wrote: It is fitting that stock should be taken of his place in American dance as the years and decades roll by.  His historical position as dancer, choreographer, teacher and innovator is, of course, secure.  What is important is that Ted Shawn remains a force in American dance as an artist and as a personality.

And Shawn's universal appeal was never more dramatically underlined than by his sensationally successful solo recital tour of Australia in 1947.  Alone, he conquered a strange new continent.  Audience reaction was so great, critical acclaim so unanimous that the original number of performances was trebled.  Two years later he scored even greater triumphs in his first solo dance tour of the United States and Canada.

Shawn's distinguished career has been full of daring initiative.  He is unique as the founder and director of an all-male dance group composed of young athletes.  By restoring the dance as an art form for men, his great company inscribed an indelible chapter in the development of the dance in Amercia and in the world.

Shawn was the first to create dances on American themes.  With Ruth St. Denis, he established Denishawn, the first truly American school of the dance from which were graduated many of the leading dance artists of today.

As founder and director of Jacob's Pillow near Lee, Massachusetts, he brought into being the first University of the Dance where all branches of the art are taught by world-famous artists and choreographers.  In recognition of his work, Springfield College in Massachusetts conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Physical Education, the first and only dancer to be so honored by an American college.

In one of his best known books, Dance We Must — and Shawn has authored six books and numerous articles on the dance—he expressed his philosophy, the creed of a dancer who changed a religious vocation from the realm of the church to the field of dance, insisting that only the medium was different, the spirit the same.

Shawn has danced before the audiences of the world, touching people's lives with his robustness, his romanticism and his religious faith.  As Australian critic Warwick Lawrence of the Brisbane Sunday Mail said of him: Here's a man who brings the inspiration and virility of a youth of twenty into his expression of the dance.  He's Johnny Appleseed at heart—the soul of young America.  He is a man of great culture, a man of great art, a man of vision, always alive to fresh inspiration.

(For information on other types of programs offered by Ted Shawn, please turn to back page.)




CUTTING THE SUGAR CANE




Sample Program
of
SOLO DANCE RECITAL … IN COSTUME


I.
Invocation to the Thunderbird
John Philip Sousa


II.
Barcarolle
Jess Meeker


III.
O Brother Sun and Sister Moon!
Ottorino Respighi


IV.
The Mevlevi Dervish
Anis Fuleihan


V.
Four Dances Based on American Folk Music




a) Sheep 'n Goat Walkin' to the Pasture
Folk dance mood



b) Nobody Knows de Trouble I've Seen
Negro spiritual



c) Give Me That Old Time Religion
Revival hymn



d) The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Patriotic song



Intermission



VI.
Gnossienne (Dance of A Cretan Priest before the Snake Goddess)
Erik Satie


VII.
Turkey in the Straw
American Folk


VIII.
Cutting the Sugar Cane
Ernesto Lecuona


IX.
Flamenco Dances
Original Manuscripts secured in Spain








Figure


Mr. Shawn is prepared to give a lecture-recital on any special phase of the dance in which the engaging organization may be particularly interested.




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TED SHAWN
TED SHAWN'S versatility in the field of dance can best be demonstrated by the different types of programs listed below which he offers for universities, colleges, schools, clubs and other organizations interested in the various phases of the dance:


LECTURE—DANCE RECITALS
A series of lecture-recitals during which Ted Shawn gives a forty-five minute discussion of some phase of the dance and follows this, after a short intermission, with a short recital of solo dances—in full costume—to illustrate the chosen subject.



Sample Lecture: THE AMERICAN DANCE
A discussion of the contributions made to the dance by Americans.



Illustrative Dances:

FOUR DANCES BASED ON AMERICAN FOLK TUNES
THE MEVLEVI DERVISH
STUDY OF ST. FRANCIS ASSISI
TWO FLAMENCO DANCES



LECTURES (These do not include Dance Recitals)
His extensive research into the primitive, historical and national dances of five continents has made Ted Shawn a recognized authority on the many phases of the dance.  His easy platform manner has made him a lecture favorite with the general public as well as those particularly concerned with the dance.



Subjects

HISTORY OF THE DANCE
DANCE IN RELIGION
DANCE IN EDUCATION
THE AMERICAN DANCE

(In this straight lecture Mr. Shawn gives an hour discussion, followed by a question period.  It does not include a dance recital.  For special groups he offers a specialized series of lectures on any phase of the dance.)



A TEACHING COURST
Ted Shawn's background as a dance educator needs little delineation here.  Most of the famous dancers of today have at one time or another been his pupils or profited by his teaching.  For four summers he headed the dance department of the Graduate School of Peabody College at Nashville, Tennessee.  He taught two winter semesters at Springfield College in Massachusetts, the largest men's physical education college in the country.

As a teacher, he is available for classroom instruction on various phases of the dance.  He is also available as coach for special dance groups.



A VISIT FROM TED SHAWN
Should you wish to engage Ted Shawn for a complete, well-rounded program of lectures, lecture-dance recitals, classroom teaching and coaching of special groups … to be climaxed by a concert of solo dances … this versatile artist is available for varying periods of time.  This is a plan for universities, colleges and similar groups which has proved successful in operation.

Ted Shawn can spend two days, three days, a week or longer with your organization.  His flexible program would consist of one lecture-recital, one or more straight lectures, two or three teaching sessions (more, if desired) and coaching of dance groups.  The final event of his visit would be a complete concert recital of solo dances in full costume.

(For information on Shawn's concert recitals, please see inside pages.)