The arts, including dance, are an important part of our culture. Women have innovated in dance theory, founded whole new schools of dance and thrilled us with their beauty and grace. Who can forget Ginger Rogers who did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels? Or the beautiful ballet of Maria Tallchief? In this month’s ENewsletter we profile two women who brought the art of dance to new levels: Ruth St. Denis and Judith Jamison.
Ruth St. Denis began acting and dancing in vaudeville and musical comedies when she was in her teens. In 1906, she premiered her first dance work in New York City; she incorporated Asian art and dance into her performance.