Throwback Thursday and Helen Tamaris
Helen Tamaris was born Helen Becker on April 24, 1905. She
was an American dancer and choreographer, one of the first to add jazz and
African American spirituals to her work.
She began her dance training with Irene Lewisohn, and later
trained in ballet with Michel Fokine at the Metropolitan Opera, where she later
performed. At this time she adopted the stage name of Tamaris. She studied
briefly with the Isadora Duncan School, but was dissatisfied. Unhappy with
both classical ballet and Isadora’s method, she set out to create her own technique
and made her performance debut with it in 1927. In 1930 she founded her own
school and company.
In addition, she organized the Dance Repertory Theatre in 1930 that presented concerts feather
Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. Regardless of her efforts to
develop a new style, she never quite succeeded, at least to the level Martha
Graham or Isadora Duncan. However, her works were vigorous and exuberant, and
incorporated American themes as well spotlighting social issues (How Long Brethren). She also choreographed works for musical theatre, including Annie Get Your Gun, among others.
In 1960 she formed the Tamiris-Nagrin Dance Company with her
husband and dance partner Daniel Nagrin. Helen Tamiris died on August 4, 1966
in New York City.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #95:
“Helen Tamaris was one of the early pioneers
in modern dance.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Knowledge
speaks, but wisdom listens”
―Jimi Hendrix
―Jimi Hendrix
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