Humphrey, Doris, 1895-1958, American modern dancer and choreographer, b. Oak Park, Ill. Humphrey was a featured soloist with the Denishawn Company until 1927. She then formed her own company with Charles Weidman, which performed for 16 years, producing such dancers as José Limón. One of the foremost figures of modern dance, she developed experimental concepts in form and content in such works as Water Study (1928) and Theater Piece No. 2 (1956). In 1955 she was instrumental in founding the Juilliard Dance Theater in New York City.

(born Oct. 17, 1895, Oak Park, Ill., U.S.—died Dec. 29, 1958, New York, N.Y.) U.S. dancer and modern-dance choreographer. She was a member of the Denishawn troupe from 1917 to 1928, when she left to cofound, with Charles Weidman, a school and performing dance group, which was active until 1944. In her choreography she employed an innovative use of conflict between balance and imbalance, fall and recovery; her works included Water Study (1928), The Shakers (1931), and New Dance (1935). She retired as a performer in 1945 but continued as artistic director for José Limón's company, creating works such as Day on Earth (1947) and Ruins and Visions (1953).

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Humphrey-Weidman is a modern dance technique based on the theory and action of fall and recovery. It originated in 1928 when Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman broke away from the Denishawn school and moved to New York City. There they pioneered modern dance in the United States by founding a dance school and company to teach and perform their technique. Doris Humphrey disbanded the Humphrey-Weidman school and company in the 1940s.

See also

• Eleanor King

Notes

References

• Humphrey, Doris (1959) The art of making dances, New York:Rinehart (New York:Grove Weidenfeld, 1991 ISBN 0802130739)