Tuesday, July 9, 2013

margaret morris and the nature winds

























Margaret Morris
This body mover was a British dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 
It seems that every moment of this womyn's life was centered
around sharing the arts of dance.  Margaret had been dancing 
from a very young age and by the precocious age of twelve had 
begun to reject the strict nature of classical ballet.  In 1909 she met 
Raymond Duncan, brother of Isadora Duncan, who taught her the 
six Greek positions, adapted from images on ancient Greek vases. 
She elaborated on these to produce her own dance system aiming at 
naturalism and freedom. 
In 1922 is when she started the first educational school in England 
to combine educational subjects with educational training in 
dancing and acting.  John Fergusson Duncan became the 
art director of all her schools.  The students' curriculum included 
acting, dance composition and improvisation, Dance Notation,
design, and painting.
She was the first proponent of the Isadora Duncan technique 
in Great Britain.  She founded the Margaret Morris Movement, 
Celtic Ballet, and two Scottish National Ballets in Glasgow (1947) 
and in Pitlochry (1960).
I am in awe of her curriculum for the educational school.
As of 1925, the syllabus included all of the following:
  1. The Margaret Morris method of physical culture and dancing
  2. Dance composition
  3. Theory of movement : Breathing
  4. Theory of practice of teaching
  5. Paining, design and sculpture
  6. Notation of movement
  7. Property and mask making
  8. Dressmaking
  9. Music training
  10. Class singing
  11. Musical composition
  12. Literature; study of words; writing of plays and poems; essays
  13. Diction and acting
  14. Lecturing and discussion
  15. Stage management, including lighting
  16. Production of play and ballets
  17. General organisation and business management
  18. Swimming
  19. Ballroom dancing