ee? aes - HUMPHREY-WEIDMAN DANCERS TRUE EXPONENTS OF AMERICAN ART THE SAN FRANCISCO NEWS. —— Monday, March 14, 1938 Sanity, Logic Mark Work Of Group Choreographic Patterns Have Fundamentals of Basic Forms BY MARJORY M. FISHER The News Music Editor American dancers are com- {ng into their own. When the history of dance as an Ameri- can art form is written several generations hence, methinks it will be Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman who will be cred- ited with the creation—or evolution, if you prefer—of a dance art most typical of the land of their birth. At least their first San Francisco performance in the Curvan Theater yesterday afternoon convinced us at the Humphrey-Weidman com- bination has something which no other dance group in the passing parade of dance has seemed to pos- sess. Whether one cails that quality sanity, straightforwardness, forth- rightness or just sound logic makes little difference. The fact remains that said distinctive quality is there. And so are those other two very necessary things known as form and content. Furthermore, there is a total absence of anything suggesting cults or mystic rites. It is an hon- est form of presentation, dealing with basic fundamentals. The Hum- phrey-Weidman combination pro- duces a pictorial art in terms of movement which, translated into musical terms, might well be termed fugal. Yesterday’s program opened with “To the Dance’—a finely moving salutation which served td introduce various dance motifs and develop them into a visual fugue altogether impressive. Gay Tale Then, to prove that the modern dance need not be too serious to be highly entertaining, the company produced a “fairy tale for tired busi- ness men” called “The Happy Hypo- crite.” It proved delectable satire replete with humor and action hav- ing to do with a certain Lord George Hell who attended a banquet with La Senora Gambogi but left her to pursue a naive country lass who was looking for a husband with the face of a saint. Just how Lord George Hell became Lord George Heaven and brought the story to a happy ending (thanks to the Merry Dwarf who was also a Cupid) made a gay fantasy which brought to light the excellent solo ability of different members of the group. among these, Jose Limon was out- standing as the mask-maker, and his subsequent appearances further proved he is Mr. Weidman’s rival for chief male honors. Edith Orcutt as the Dwarf (a cute, Puckish Cupid) and Katherine Litz as the saint- seeking lass also won solo honors as did William Bales, Sybil Shearer (as the scorned Senora), George Bockman and Katherine Manning. More Abstract Fantastic costumes and head- dresses helped to keep the episode definitely in the realm of satirical fancy, and the whole of “The Happy Hypocrite” kept the audience chuck- ling as happily as any creation of Trudi Schoop’s. The “New Dance,’ which con- eluded the program, represented the growth of the individual in rela- tionship to his fellows in an ideal state. Such was its stated aim; and such was its general effect. This American dance group is equally adept in working in far- flung linear spatial patterns and in circular and three dimensional forms. They seem to have taken the best the classic ballet and the various modern idioms have had to offer and recast them into a new American dance form which has clarity and purpose throughout an especially wide and unrestricted ~ range of movement. Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman should bring their group here annually, as do the famous European aggregations, and should dance to capacity audiences. They offer an impressive experience in dance art—one marked by good taste in its every aspect, from chore- ography to costumes and music. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 27 Humphrey-W eidman Program Pleases Movement, form and pattern of the dance should be an exposi- tion of contemporary life, particularly American life, rather than continuing old ideas and forms borrowed from Europe, is the credo brilliantly illustrated in the performances given Saturday at the South high school by Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman with their group of intelligent young men and women. These perform- ances, introducing to Salt Lake City audiences one of the most dis- tinctive dancing ensembles that has ever appeared here, were a tri- umphant vindication of their art ideals, and brought pleasure to a fascinated and responsive audience. in. the which was first on yesterday’s pro-: gram, a session at 2:15 p. m. which drew an interested group of the dance-minded, Miss Humphrey ex- plained the modern idea and tech- nique of the dance, showing how realism has been substituted for symbolism and illusion, and com- positions are designed as reflections of and commentary on every day experience, Explains Theories “Our dance themes as well as- movements, are modern, related to | phases of life we all know about that we ourselves have experienced,” Miss Humphrey said. “They are concerned with human values, their point of view related to the times. The technical foundation of the modern dance lies in the natural body action in relation to gravity. Within this there is wide range of development, ef course—rhythm lecture - demonstration * changes, dynamigs giving great variety, and a new vocabulary of the use of the body employed. Body movements are all expressive of emotional ideas, and run the entire gamut of experience.” Dancing has been denied its right- ful place among the serious arts, Miss Humphrey believes. It hereto- fore has meant only amusement, en- tertainment. The modern dance is also instructive, some times con- veying protest against certain phases of life, some times serious ideas presented under a humorous exterior, some times frankly play- ful, and ideas are presented not only in terms of the dance but in terms of the theater. Wustrate Technique Their technique and its develop- ment was illustrated in a series of demonstrations given by Miss Humphrey and a group of girls, and ‘by Mr. Weidman and his group, showing the characteristic move- ments, development of simple ac- tions, falls, leaps, and so on, Two parts of Miss Humphrey’s very original “New Dance,” joyous and spirited in mood,..were given, and in conclusion the witty, satiric ballet, “The Happy Hypocrite.” -based on a Max Beerbohm tale of Lord George Hell and his transfor- mation through love for an angelic country dancer to Lord George Heaven. Nura masks are used, and the pantomime had the true comic spirit. If one is unable at once to grasp the story of the dance, there are still the rhythm and precision of movement, the dynamic power, the admirable balance and coordination of muscles, and above all the ex- quisite light grace of Miss Humphrey herself, the pantomimic mastery and verve of Weidman to make these dance compositions fas- cinating- entertainment. And the music was always delightful, often merely the drum beat employed. Most important on the evening program was “Theater Piece,” high- ly effective in design and built in six episodes, presenting ah ironic interpretation of the rivalry in the ‘modern world, in. business, sports, in love, in the theater. Miss Humphrey, who was the choreg- rapher, played the part of one who protests against this competi- tion as destructive, and points the way to better living. Weidman’s clever grotesqueries sharply con- trasted with her role of the protes- tant. Her solo dance in the inter- lude is an exquisitely lovely state- ment of the ideal she seeks, and a prophecy of the more harmonious CLEVELAND NEWS, FEB. 5 LOO life revealed in the design of the “New Dancé,” the concluding part of which was given, It was altogether a program ol originality, with rich potentialities for the development of an Americar idiom of the dance. Repeated cur- tain calls attested the depth oi audience interest. seeing this tunity of modern dance owing Miss Virginia Tanner, largely responsible for bringing them here. For the oppor- foremost group, praise is MORNING WORLD-HERALD OMAHA, NEB., WED, FEBRUARY 23, 1938 BY WILLIAM N. GATES DANCE program arrangement, as well as | Wiedman in the smallest dance Humphrey, Weidman Pres ent Next Successor to the Ballet composition of long|vored in a smaller hall. something should be done to rescue Certainly People ask where the modern dance is going. Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, with their group, last night estab- lished that the modern dance is here—here with an illimitable wealth of vocabulary and of matter to communicate therein, couched in superb formal de- sign.. If their performance last night at Severance hall failed to elicit the box-office approval of society, it is because their art is running sev- eral years ahead of society’s in- vertebrate consciousness. For here surely is, in the ancient history of dance, the next great successor to the ballet. There is a stagecraft to the dance, just as there is a rhythm, which is peculiar to it. Humphrey an d Weidman are past masters of this stagecraft. It appeared in their The opening “To the Dance” in- troduces an audience to all the rich elements of repetition and contrast, of dynamics and of design in space, without encumbrance of story or philosophy other than the joy of well-constructed movement, which are the stuff of finished dance com- position. The concluding “Varia- tions and Conclusions” would make a breath-taking finale to any pro- gram. Its primarily thematic treat- ment carries it beyond the mere present to the permanence and the truth which is a symphony. With all its compactness of design, or perhaps because of that, the ulti- mate feeling is one of complete freedom. To Balance the Program Between these numbers were per- formed the two larger works, “Theater Piece,’ composed except for one, part by Miss Humphrey, and “The Happy Hypocrite,’ a movement. | standing and recently revised and re-presented. These two works sup- plied a nice balance in program- matic contrast, the first as a re- action to modern life communi- cated purely in terms of dance movement, the second as a trans- lation into dance-pantomime of Max Beerbohm’s witty “Fairy Tale for Tired Men.” For those in search of American ballet, let them look upon ‘The Happy Hypocrite’ and rest from their labors. From the outrageous dinner dance with which it opens to the final ecstatic gambols of Lord George Heaven (formerly Hell) with his naive Jenny Mere, the action is compact of such rib- bings, such full-blooded sarcasms, as are pure Weidman. The flow of the action is so swift that often its clever detail is found to have rolled by leaving in its wake only a de- licious tickle. For that reason the work might be more happily sa- Herbert Elwell’s delightful score from the muffling and mumbling which it suffered last night. Weidman Excels Weidman’s miming of Lord George has not only brilliance but character study. Katherine Litz as Jenny shows an uncommon feel- ing for comedy and style, and Edith Orcutt’s Cupid, slightly drunk with the fun of her sly tricks, is lovely. “Theater Piece” is a remarkable work. It would be better off with- out programmatic comment, for what it conveys is actually untrans- latable in words. Miss Humphrey’s solo Interlude reveals some of the most beautiful dancing seen in these many years in Cleveland. The technical sureness and the freedom of the group as a whole is a thing of joy. In the hands of Humphrey and Weidman and of this group the dance has become a thing flexible, luminous and strong. Dance Artists Are Lauded Beauty, Gracefulness Found at Concert By Keith Wilson Both Mr. Weidman and his part- ner are superb pantomimists and there is more drama than music in much of their dancing. More- over, they chose to do light things, many of them comic, several sa- tiric and none tragic. The Omaha audience laughed loudly and en- joyed them all. Particularly did they like ‘“Thea- tre Piece,” described as “a dance of experience in a place of con- flict and competition.” The dance is symbolic of a business office and its mad pace—the stenographers on a man hunt—later of a stadium in which two dancers symbolic of football teams tackled and patted each other on the back. Highlight of ‘“Fheatre Piece” was a sequence in which Weidman and two of the girl dancers burlesqued three hams doing a dramatic scene. Most effective was “The Race,” in which the thesis of ‘“‘Theatre Piece” was summed up in a mad, but chythmic and altogether coherent foot race, the runners near exhaus- tion. Miss Humphries symbolized revolt against the pointless rivalry and in “Interlude” danced the only harmonious sequence of the dance. There were two other parts of the concert, the last, a “New Dance,’ which was actually a sequel to “Theatre Piece,” was costumed in rust and blue. The “New Dance” resembled popular dancing in some respects and there was a faint resemblance to the big apple. In the opening set of dances, Miss Humphries interpreted ‘“Vari- ations in a Theme of Handel” and Mr. Weidman, Jose Limon and George Bockman did a dance called “Traditions” in which each of the three dancers gradually and singly changed the form of their dance. The audience liked especially “Ex- hibition Piece” a fluffy bit of crino- line mockery with the stars and Mr. Limon. WASHINGTON D.C HERALD, FEB 3 1938 CAPITAL ENTRANCED WITH PERFORMANCE OF NOTED. DANGERS By JEAN STANSBURY Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, with their dance group, shot like a meteor across the Washington sky and were gone. And Washington is the poorer in realization that they are gone but infinitely wealthier with the memory of the per- formance they gave him in the Roosevelt High School audi- torium. Humphrey and Weidman are @ peculiarly happy combination in that they add to their com- bined dancing and _ choreo- graphic talent the unusual spec- tacle of a man and woman who are perfect complements one to the other. Humphrey’s fine drawn, high E femininity is balanced delicately by Weid- man’s definite masculine domi- nance and strength. The program Tuesday night was all, and a little more, than could be asked for. Some of the numbers, particularly the Pro- logue and Behind the Wallis scenes from Theater Piece, were a little too prolonged for the im- portance of their message to the audience. Miss Humphrey’s barbed satire lost a little of its venom by the over-emphasis in those two scenes. The tempo in most of the other scenes, how- ever, kept the entire audience, even the standees, on their toes. It would seem to be a Cer- tainty that America has a defi- nitely *rystallized dance form of her own and that Humphrey and Weiiman are the chemists who have given us the basic formulae Their insistence on line and form throughout, even in Miss Humphrey’s most ab- stract solo in Interlude, from Theater Piece, the irony yet optimistic strength of every movement is peculiarly Amer- ica’s. Jose Limon, featured dancer with the group, is materialized thunder to Charles Weidman’s dynamic grace. Whenever, how- ever, and wherever Washington sees dancing, Washington will have to remember the Hum- phrey-Weidman group and the birth o2 3 national ballet that need bow to none.