body movement tuesday :: denishawn school of dance

Denishawn School of Dance
The Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded in 1915 by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Los Angeles, California, helped many perfect their dancing talents.  Some of the school's more notable pupils include Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman and silent film star Louise Brooks.  The school was especially renowned for its influence on ballet and experimental modern dance.  In time, Denishawn teachings reached another school location, as well, Studio 61 at the Carnegie Hall Studios. Because St. Denis and Shawn believed that all dance techniques were valid and instructive, the school offered classes in Oriental, Spanish, and primitive dance; the fundamentals of ballet; their own innovative techniques; and, later, the modern dance techniques that had been developed in Europe by Rudolf Laban.

"The art of dance is too big to be encompassed by any one system.  On the contrary, the dance includes all systems or schools of dance.  Every way that any human being of any race or nationality, at any period of human history, has moved rhythmically to express himself, belongs to the dance. We endeavor to recognize and use all contributions of the past to the dance and will continue to use all new contributions in the future"